Pick Me-Choose Me-Love Me
by naomi-stories
Summary: Falling in love with your best friend is rough. Especially when he's straight and is about to get married to a woman. Aomine isn't taking it well so he finds comfort in his friends, especially Kise. As time goes by, things begin to change within the brute's heart and he starts to fall for another. Will he accept what he wants? Or would his stubborn self stop him?
1. Mr and Mrs Kagami

Aomine Daiki hates weddings.

The people, the flowers, the cheesy decorations that were way too expensive for anyone to buy. Most of all, he hates how he needs to pretend that he's okay having his longtime crush marrying someone else.

Kagami Taiga is getting married today and Aomine doesn't like it one bit. He first figured out that he was in love with the dense redhead was during one of their one-on-ones. Kagami got a little too close to the brute and the redhead fell on top of the male. One thing led to another and they soon found themselves kissing.

It was a quick kiss and Kagami immediately apologized and went on a rant about "having no idea where that came from" but Aomine could only stare and let his mind wander.

Another man kissed him and he liked it.

A lot.

Pretty soon, he started to notice everything about Kagami. The way he dressed, the way he moves during basketball, the small laugh that he gives during practice, all of it. Aomine found himself falling in love with it all. Now, he's standing beside the one he loves at the altar, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle.

"Can you believe it Aomine? I'm getting married today!" the redhead exclaimed with delight. The brute bit his tongue and offered his best friend a fake smile.

"I know Kagami. That's some big stuff eh?"

"I can't wait!" Kagami smiled happily as more guests began taking their seats. Aomine gripped his hands into fists. "Hey, Kagami. I'll be back. Just gotta head to the bathroom."

"Huh? Sure Aomine! Hurry back!" the redhead straight his tuxedo.

When Aomine reached the bathroom, he slammed the door opened and headed straight towards the sink. The imaginary hand was squeezing his lungs, making it hard for him to breathe. He felt the room spin around him. He needed to get out of there. He couldn't do this. He _**can't**_ do this.

"Aomine-kun?" he heard a voice snapped him back into reality. The brute turned around to find Kuroko standing with the door slightly opened.

"Oh. Hey Tetsu. What's up?" Aomine asked casually. The tealhead frowned before shutting the door and walking over to the tall man.

"You should tell him."

Aomine snorted. "Why? So he can magically realize that he's gay all this time and fall in love with me?"

Kuroko frowned even more. "No. You need closure Aomine-kun. I know he's your best friend but you can't be serious about putting yourself through this torture." Aomine sighed heavily and turned to face the mirror once again.

"I have to do this. He's my best friend and I'm the best man. I can't let him down."

The tealhead sighed and placed a hand on Aomine's shoulder. "I know. I just really hope you're ready for this."

"Of course I'm not but what choice do I have?" the brute's voice sounded raspy. Kuroko pulled the taller man into a hug, trying to squeeze the pain out of him. Aomine could only hug back and bit his lip to stop himself from crying.

A knock on the door was made. "Kuroko. Aomine. Kagami is waiting for us. We're about to start."

"Okay. Thank you Midorima-kun. We'll be out."

Once they heard footsteps leaving, they broke their hug and smiled sadly at each other. "After this, let's skip the after party? Go somewhere else?" Kuroko said hopefully. Aomine shook his head and opened the bathroom door.

"I can't. I have to make a speech."

The tealhead sighed and followed him out the door. "Okay. Then after?" he asked again. This time, the brute nodded. "After the speech, we'll get away from here. Thanks, Tetsu."

"Anything for my friend" Kuroko winked, lightening the mood a bit. They reached the altar and stood in their place, sensing the crowds' eyes were on them. Aomine swallowed hard and glanced at his best friend who stood on his right.

Kagami was breathing heavily and his hands were shaking with nerves. Without thinking, Aomine placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Relax. Everything will turn out great."

The nervous male nodded and instantly relaxed once he heard the brute's voice. Aomine smiled before the music started to play. He bit his cheek as he saw his best friend's girlfriend—now fiancee—and now soon to be wife—walking down the aisle in a white dress. All the attention of the crowd was on the woman. Her blond hair was put up in a braided crown, her veil flowing beautifully past her shoulders. She wore a strapless ballgown dress that glistened as the sun shined down on it. As if on cue, the birds in the surrounding trees started to sing along with the music, giving the ceremony a fairy tale feel. When she reached the altar, she kissed her father on the cheek and took the redhead's hand in hers.

Before the celebrant started to speak, a couple of fish from the lake behind him gave a few splashes as if they were congratulating the couple on their big day.

"Now since both the birds and fishes have established their presence, let's get started, shall we?" he joked, making the crowd laugh. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Kagami Taiga and Kuchiki Narumi in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Aomine felt like his stomach was tightening in knots.

"If anyone has any reason why these two shouldn't be allowed to marry, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The brute bit his tongue and gripped the side of his pants so he couldn't shout out. He must stay strong. He must not say anything.

The celebrant breathed a sigh of relief and continued on with the ceremony. "Kagami Taiga and Kuchiki Narumi, today you choose each other before your family and friends, to begin your life together. For all the tomorrows that follow, you will choose each other over and again, in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you as you learn and grow together. Experience the wonders of the world, even as patience and wisdom calm the restless nature. Through your new partnership, may you triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you always find a safe place to call home." Some people started to weep and even the bride dapped her eyes.

Aomine felt like he was going to be sick. He blinked a few times and started to let his mind wander, wishing he was anywhere else.

"Do you Kagami Taiga, take Kuchiki Narumi to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

He held his breath.

"I do," his best friend said without any hesitation. Aomine bit his inner cheek once again to keep himself from crying. Now since he heard those two words, everything became real.

Those words just stabbed him in the chest and he felt like he couldn't breathe once again. He wanted to escape. He needed to get out so no one could see how broken he felt.

A small hand on his shoulder relaxed the brute greatly. He remembered Kuroko's promise. He just had to hang in there just a bit longer.

"And now, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Kagami and his woman stepped closer together and sealed their fate with a kiss. Everyone clapped and cheered for the happy couple.

Everyone but one.

Aomine stood his place as he watched the couple walking to the door on the aisle, their hands linked together. Kagami is married. He has a wife now and Aomine never felt more broken.

"Aomine-kun. Let's go get you a drink before the party." Kuroko grasped the brute's wrist and guided him towards a tree, where they could be alone. The tealhead opened his jacket up to reveal a small bottle of tequila from his pocket.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"I figured you might need it," Kuroko said as he handed the bottle to his friend. Aomine took it and chug the entire thing in three gulps. Feeling the familiar buzz, the brute sighed and handed back the empty bottle to the shorter male.

"Thanks, Tetsu. I owe you one."

"We'll get more for you after the party. I don't want to embarrass yourself giving a drunk speech."

Aomine chuckled and ruffled his friend's hair. "I swear Tetsu. You're like a mom." Kuroko rolled his eyes and removed the big tan hand. "I get to practice at my kindergarten class." They both started to chuckle as people left the lake and onto where the party was going to be held. Both men sighed and started to head towards the car, where Kise and Midorima were waiting for them.

"Aominecchi! Kurokocchi! Hurry! We have to beat Kagamicchi and his new wife there!" Kise said happily. The brute grunted and opened one of the car doors open.

"What? What did I say?" the blond asked. Both Kuroko and Midorima shook their heads before they all went inside the car and drove away.

_**AominexKise-AominexKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise**_

Once they arrived at the banquet hall, they were greeted with nothing but red and yellow. Red ribbons. Yellow flowers. Seeing all of these colors were making Aomine sick.

"Let's go! Our seats are over here!" Kise yelled as he raced to the table at the end of the room. All three men sighed and slowly walked down the man-made aisle. Both on his left and right were nothing but red and yellow themed tables. Each table had its own chandelier, making the colors stand out even more. Once they reached the end of the tables, they were greeted by the dance floor and behind the dance floor, the wedding party table was standing.

On the right was the DJ setting up his equipment while on the left was a huge bar that had three men in uniform cleaning.

Aomine couldn't wait until he could drink again.

"Come on you guys! We have assigned seating! I'm so excited!" Kise kept rambling on and on about loving weddings. Midorima sighed as he pushed up his glasses. "I don't see the point of spending so much money on a wedding," he said casually. Kise gasped and told him many reasons why it's a great idea to spend money on weddings. Aomine groaned and placed his head against the table.

A few hours later, the newlyweds arrived and the party could finally begin. They served steak with potatoes and vegetables, a course that Kagami always says that it's his favorite. The dessert was Anmitsu, a dish that the bride says she'll enjoy forever. Once the guests were full and had a great time taking pictures with the couple, Kagami gave a speech to his in-laws before announcing that his best man created a speech for this particular day.

Aomine stood up from the table and gripped the microphone until his knuckles turned white. He breathed heavily and put a fake smile on his face.

"I just wanna congratulate my best friend Kagami…" he paused as he met eye contact. "For finding happiness in his life." the crowd cheered. Aomine blinked his tears away before he continued on. "I knew Kagami back in high school. We played basketball together almost every afternoon and to this day, he hasn't beat me" the brute smirked, letting the crowd laugh as his forced joke.

"But today, he has beaten me at something. Love. He found love and I'm happy that he found someone as lovely as Kuchiki here" he forced himself to finally look at the glowing wife. She gave him a teary smile and grasped Kagami's hand.

Aomine swallowed the lump in his throat, praying that his voice won't sound raspy. "So, I would like to give a toast. To Kagami and Kuchiki. May their days be blessed with happiness and basketball games." He raised his glass up and people started to clap. He chugged the entire cup before he sat down next to Kagami, who was gaping at the tan male.

"What?" Aomine asked him. Kagami gave him a warming smile and punched his shoulder playfully. "Who would've thought you can say something so sentimental?" he chuckled. Aomine rolled his eyes and glanced at Kuroko.

"No really. Thank you Aomine."

The brute froze at the tone of his voice. He made the mistake of making eye contact with the redhead once again. "F-For what?" his voice cracked. Kagami gave him his signature smile, the smile that his eyes closed and his teeth showed, before replying.

"Thank you for saying something so wonderful. Both me and my new wife Kuchiki will cherish it for the rest of our lives."

Aomine's chest felt heavy once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I would like to invite the bride and groom onto the dance floor for their first dance together" the DJ spoke. The crowd cheered and within an instant, Kagami was gone. Aomine stood up from his seat and walked over to the bar, where he ordered three shots immediately.

"Aomine-kun?" he heard his friend behind him. He downed the alcohol quickly, feeling the buzz from earlier, before meeting bright blue eyes.

"How was that? Do you think everyone bought it?" he ordered another three. Kuroko frowned heavily and signaled for someone to come over.

"I apologize Aomine-kun but I can't come with you right at this moment."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Akashi-kun has asked for my help dealing with the catering and the wild guests. I can come with you right after."

Aomine grunted and chug the other three, feeling a bit light-headed.

"I've asked Kise-kun to take you to the nearest bar. I'll find you both right after okay?"

"Tetsu oh no please no. Anyone but him."

"How rude Aominecchi!" Kise was right next to Kuroko in a blink. Aomine rolled his eyes and set his head against the counter. "I'll take care of him Kurokocchi. Don't you worry!" the blond boosted and grasped the brute's wrist. Kuroko gave him a small smile before he heard a familiar voice calling him.

"You might want to leave before Kagami drags him to the dance floor to dance with Kuchiki," the tealhead said. Quickly, Aomine stood up and grasped Kise's hand back.

"Let's go blondie."

"O-Ow! Aominecchi! Wait!" Kise yelled as the two males disappeared in the crowd, heading towards the double doors that lead to the outside world.

* * *

_ I'm back! This isn't a one-shot but a continuous story! It has a plot, romance, drama, and very stubborn Aomine. Stay tuned for more! And I apologize if the characters are a bit OOC. Also, if you have seen Grey's Anatomy, I'm not going to copy __Meredith. But I did just use that little part for the title. That's it. Anyways, please leave a review and hit that follow button for when the next chapter comes out!_


	2. Sunshine

**_Hooray ID: I hope you finished your research paper! Thank you for the beautiful review and I'm super happy that you're enjoying this story! More to come!_**

_Onward to the story!_

* * *

Three beers in the night, Aomine realized that since they got at the bar, Kise has said nothing except to order. It was a relief and a worry at the same time.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Aomine dared to ask. Kise shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his own drink. "Kurokocchi didn't tell me what's going on but I could tell. I figured you don't need a loud mouth talker at the moment."

The brute gaped his mouth in shock. The blond's cheeks flushed a bit and looked away. "W-What? I grew up since high school alright?" he took another sip. Aomine smirked and chugged the rest of his beer down.

"It's about time you learned when to shut up."

"Aominecchi!" the shorter male pouted. Aomine flashed a real smile for the first time that night. Kise, who barely caught it, gave one back.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I thought you already knew."

"I do. But I just want to hear it from you" the blond set his elbows on the table and cup his face in his hands. Aomine shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He doesn't know if he should mention anything to Kise. Sure, he says that he learned when to shut up, but that doesn't mean he learned when not to be a blabbermouth.

"Aominecchi. It's alright if you don't want to tell me. But I heard that talking about it could really be therapeutic" Kise gave him a warm smile. Aomine sighed heavily and dropped his head.

What more could he lose?

"I'm in love with Kagami, alright?" saying those words brought more pain in his chest. He ordered another two beers, hoping they will drown the pain. Kise sighed and finished his own drink.

"I thought so. You were practically gripping the mic as if you wanted to strangle it" Kise chuckled a bit. Aomine smiled again and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Not really. Though, you did seem to crack during your speech. By the way, it was beautiful!" the blond exclaimed. Aomine grunted and took a swing of his fourth beer. "Thanks. I made it up right then and there."

"I really hope you don't do that at my wedding."

"Who says you'll ever get married?"

"Aominecchi!" Kise huffed in annoyance. Meanwhile, the brute laughed brightly, feeling more at ease the more he drinks. "That was very rude."

"Don't care."

Kise sighed and looked out the window. "Though, you're probably right. Who knows if I'll ever get married." Aomine stopped himself from drinking to look at the blond. He was confused. Kise Ryouta was a famous model who could literally have anyone he wanted and he's saying that he doesn't know he'll get married?

"What kind of fuck up shit is that Kise?"

"Huh?"

"You're a famous model. Chicks dig that. Hell, even guys dig that! You can have anybody you want. So, don't give me that bullshit that you don't know if you'll ever get married." The man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Meanwhile, the blond's face went completely red and he shifted his gaze to the table. "T-That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me Aominecchi!" he smiled happily, almost blinding the brute at how much he glowed.

"But seriously though. You could get a fine ass lady with big tits" Aomine winked and took a drink. Kise's blush turned even redder.

"A-Actually Aomine… I-I'm not into girls."

The brute blinked once.

Twice.

"Wait. What? So you're gay?"

"Aren't you?"

"I swing both ways. It's just I'm in love with a man right now." Aomine shrugged his shoulders, wondering how easy it was to say that out loud. Kise smiled. "I guess talking really is therapeutic." Both men chuckled a bit before Kise called for another drink.

"But yes. I'm gay but I haven't come out to anyone yet so please keep it a secret?" Kise begged using his puppy eyes. Aomine rolled his eyes and held out his bottle.

"Fine. Just as long as you keep me loving Kagami a secret too alright?"

Once Kise got his cup, he clicked it with Aomines with a smile. "It's a deal."

They laughed cheerfully as they took a sip, wondering how easy it was to talk to one another now. The air around them felt lighter than when they first got there. They started talking about basketball, their careers and even were checking out guys together. Aomine never felt more comfortable around someone before. A person that he can show his true self. Even Kagami doesn't know he swings the same team.

Hours go by before they noticed a certain tealhead heading towards them. "Kurokocchi! Over here!" Kise slurred, making Aomine chuckle. Kuroko made his way over to the two drunk men. "How much have you been drinking Kise-kun?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Uh, I think four?"

"He's such a fucking lightweight" Aomine laughed again while Kise pouted. "Aominecchi! So mean!" he pouted while wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Aomine smirked and eyed the confused and annoyed tealhead.

"Let's get you home you two. Midorima is waiting outside with the car." Kuroko started to walk out, hoping that the two men wouldn't need help. Surprisingly, they got up slowly and made their way out the door, once Kise paid the tab of course. They climbed in the small car and Midorima drove away.

"How was the wedding?" Kise asked. Aomine tensed at the question, but the blond leaned against his shoulder, calming him instantly for whatever reason.

"It was pleasant. After you two left, Kagami and his wife finished the dance. They cut the cake and now they're currently on their honeymoon in America."

"Wow. I didn't know you knew so much Midorima-kun."

"I just happened to overhear the bridesmaids."

They remained silent during the rest of the car ride. When they reached Kise's apartment first, they found the blond fast asleep on Aomine's shoulder. The brute grunted and tried to wake him with no use.

"Well now, what do we do?" Aomine asked. Both men in the front sighed.

"We either carry him up the stairs into his apartment or he comes to one of ours." All three men looked at one another before the brute groaned. "Fine, but if I drop him because I'm somewhat drunk, I'm blaming you guys," he said before he struggles to get out of the car.

"I was going to offer but I guess Aomine really wanted to help" the tealhead smiled. Midorima sighed as he pushed up his glasses. "What are you up to Kuroko?"

"Nothing Midorima-kun. Turn up the music. He's going to be a while."

When Aomine finally managed to climb up the seven flights of stairs, he made his way to the room that matches the key number on it. As he walked along the hall, he heard a—_ding_—as the elevator doors flew open.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me" he swore under his breath. He stomped his way over to Kise's door and slammed it open, stirring the blond awake.

"Aominecchi?"

"Go back to sleep. I brought you home."

Kise smiled and snuggled closer to the tan body. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. Aomine gave the sleeping man a smile before walking inside the huge apartment. The brute clumsily walked around the place, trying to find a door that had a bed in it. He found it eventually and tucked the blond inside the covers, removing his shoes only. Even though they got their friendship closer than ever before tonight, it doesn't mean he had the right to strip him of his clothes. If Kise got uncomfortable wearing regular clothes, he'll wake up soon and take them off himself.

He quietly shut the door to the bedroom and placed the keys on the kitchen table. He wanted to find some medicine and some water because he for sure knows that Kise will wake up with a huge hangover but he doesn't want to get lost again. Instead, he found the front door and locked it with ease.

Now knowing that there's an elevator in the building, he pushes the button to head back down into the lobby, where the car was still waiting for him.

"How were the stairs?"

"Screw you Tetsu." The brute scowled as the teal head made a light chuckle. "Let's get you home Aomine. You're even worse to handle when you're drunk" Midorima sighed. The bluette rolled his eyes and slumped into the back seat.

"Don't you have work tomorrow too Aomine-kun?"

The former ace grunted as he closed his eyes.

"_Kagami!" Aomine yelled for his best friend. The redhead turned around and gave him a bright smile. _

"_Hey, Aomine! What's up?"_

_The bluette stopped in front of Kagami with a hint of pink on his cheeks. "Um… there's something I need to tell you."_

"_There's something I need to tell you too."_

"_Really?" The brute couldn't believe his ears. After all this time, he might be able to have the one he loves. _

"_Yeah. I'm getting married to Kuchiki!" The redhead stated happily. Aomine slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Oh. That's great news Kagami." _

"_And we're going to have ten children!" _

"_Huh?"_

_Just then, Kagami faded into nothingness and in front stood ten morphed babies with blond hair and red eyes, all crying and wailing. Aomine slumped to his knees and tried to calm the babies down. He heard laughter coming from all around him, telling him he's such a fool for thinking that things would change. _

_When the brute looked down again, the babies were replaced with Kagami's face. Their voices echoed through the room. "__**We will never love you.**_"

_Aomine sobbed into his knees. He wanted to get out. He wanted to escape. Then, everything stopped and a warm creamy hand held his wrists. _

"_-mine-kun?"_

_He wanted to stay with this person. He never felt so warm and he didn't realize just how much someone could shine so brightly. _

_Like the sun. _

"Aomine-kun!" Aomine snapped out of his dream to find Kuroko shaking him awake.

"Tetsu! I'm fine! I'm awake! Jeez!" The brute held his pounding head. Between the shaking of his dearest friend and that nightmare he just had, his brain is no longer happy.

"We're here" Kuroko stated. Aomine nodded and climbed out of the back seat, still holding his head.

"Um… thanks guys for the ride."

"It was my pleasure."

"Really?"

"No. I just did it because Oha Asa said today Virgos would have trouble focusing today."

Aomine rolled his eyes and turned to his former shadow.

"Thanks, Tetsu for helping today."

"Anytime Aomine-kun. Text me tomorrow alright?" Kuroko gave the brute a smile. The bluette smiled back. "Yeah, I will. Now, I'm going upstairs because I have a killer headache" he sighed and dragged his feet across the sidewalk, earning a slight chuckle from the tealhead. When he opened the door to the apartment complex, he heard the car speed off into the night.

Aomine sighed and began to climb two flights of stairs. Panting, he inserts his key once he reached the door. It swung open to reveal a somewhat clean apartment. His couch and coffee table were full of mugs and half ate potatoes chips.

His two seat dining table had stacks of paperwork and even more mugs that had been there for days. Aomine doesn't even want to look at the kitchen, knowing he hasn't done the dishes in like two weeks.

At least you can see the floor though.

Aomine smirked and threw his keys onto the table, hoping he'll be able to find it in a few hours. He opened his bedroom door to find a stack of clean clothes in the corner and a stack of dirty laundry in another corner. The brute sighed heavily as he began to take off his tuxedo. He really needs to clean his place up.

Collapsing on his bed with nothing his underwear, he fell right back asleep, not having another nightmare again.

* * *

_ Chapter Two is up! I'm probably going to be updating on Sunday mornings since that's when it's the slowest for me. Thank you all for reading and please leave a review if you like!_


	3. Ex-Lover

**_Hooray ID: Don't worry. That won't be the last time they get drunk. *wink wink*. After this chapter, Aomine definitely won't be having any nightmares ;). I always look forward to your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter! _**

_Kaito Haru is my OC but really just made him because I couldn't stand using "Manager" all the time. Besides, it was nice imaging of Kaito being a smaller Jason Mamoa. Onward to the story!_

* * *

The sound of an alarm told Aomine that he was going to be late for work. Slamming it off, he headed towards the bathroom, where he was reminded of the killer hangover.

He groaned as he leaned against the wall and ran through his cabinets, trying to find the medicine that could help him out. He took five pills and drank from the sink before stripping off his one piece of clothing and rush into the shower.

He tried to scrub the stench of alcohol off, hoping it wasn't noticeable anymore. When he finished, he headed into his closet and found his clean police uniform in his closet. He put it on along with his all black running shoes and shook his hair dry.

Running into the next room, he thanked his lucky stars that his keys were right where he left them. He grabbed his wallet, his badge, as well as his gun and headed straight to his car.

He'll get coffee at work.

With two minutes to spare, he rushed inside the office where his boss was waiting for him.

"Aomine-san. Come see me in my office."

The brute nodded and followed him into the room. His boss told him to have a seat before shutting the door.

"How was the wedding?" his boss sat in front of him. Aomine raises an eyebrow.

"It was good. Lots of tears and dancing."

"A lot of drinking?"

"No, sir."

"Mhm."

Aomine sheepishly smiled. The bald fit man gave out a huge sigh before eyeing the rookie cop once again. "I asked you to come in here because I have a case for you. As long as you're sober."

Aomine's eyes glistened with hope.

"Now, it's not a very big one, but it's important to the police force. I want you to show me what you can do out in the field."

"I won't let you down Tatane. I'm ready."

The old man smiled before handing a file over to the tan man. "An agency is asking for a bodyguard for the night. Apparently, one of their models is being threatened recently and they fear that the culprit might strike tonight. I need you to be there for protection and to see if you can get any more information or evidence about such a person."

Aomine grunted and opened the case file.

"The model is… Kise Ryouta?" the brute asked shockingly. Tatane raised an eyebrow with concern. "Is there a problem?"

"N-No, sir. It's just… I know him. We played back in middle school together."

"Good. Then, I hand the case to you. Report back after he gets home safe. Keep details of anyone suspicious. If you need backup, I told Wakamatsu that he will help you in this case if needed. Though, I hope you can take care of this on your own."

"I will Chief Tatane. I'll make the police force successful."

The man smiled before standing up to head towards the door. "Very well Aomine-san. Onto your other work as usual for now."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for this opportunity."

"Don't blow it" the chief smiled before opening and shutting the door to let the tan man out. Aomine sighed heavily and walked slowly towards his desk, where paperwork was stacked as high as his computer monitor.

Yeah. It was going to be a long day.

_**AominexKise-AominexKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise**_

As he stacked the finished paperwork onto his pile, Aomine let out a heavy sigh. He waved goodbye to his fellow coworkers before cleaning up his workspace. Reading over his case file once again, he grabbed his things as he headed towards the door.

"Aomine! Wait up!" he heard Wakamatsu call after him. He waited until the blond reached him to give him a stern look.

"What is it Wakamatsu? I gotta head out soon."

"I know. I'm just wondering if you need any help tonight."

"No. I got it. Thanks."

"Just give me a call if you do!" the police officer exclaimed as Aomine waved him off. When the bluenette reached his black SUV, he wondered if he should go home to change or stay in his uniform.

Thinking that if someone saw him in the familiar blue, they would be even more cautious and Aomine would miss his chance at finding out more information about the person sending the letters. Sighing, he put the car into drive and headed towards his apartment.

He reached his apartment within a few minutes and rushed towards his bedroom to find decent clothes to wear. Deciding with some black jeans and a black t-shirt, he kept his badge and hidden his gun underneath the outfit. He ran his fingers through his hair to make it presentable.

At last, he was ready.

The bluenette grabbed his keys once again and the case file before locking the front door and descending down the stairs. He reached his car and put in the direction where the fashion show was going to be held.

It didn't take him long to reach the building. Outside, there was a huge line filled with ordinary people and flashing lights were changing colors to set the mood. Aomine parked the car across the street and walked to the front door where he showed security his own badge. When he got inside, he was met with utter chaos. People running around screaming different names, men and women in oddly shaped clothes that made the brute wonder who in the hell would buy that. Still having to recover from last night, he rubbed his temples and made his way over to where he thought the dressing rooms are.

"Aominecchi?" he heard a familiar voice. He turned to find Kise wearing makeup and some sort of a suit. The brute smirked.

"The one and only. What the hell are you wearing?"

Kise pouted before glancing down. "Ralph Lauren! You like?" he winked before posing. Aomine rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Lookin' great" he said sarcastically. They both began to laugh before a voice was calling for the blond.

Kiss smiled at the man before waving him over to the pair. The man was just as tall as Kise and his long brown hair flowed easily with the wind.

"There you are, Kise! You had me worried sick" he sighed just as he reached them. Kise laughed it off and wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders.

"You need to relax more Kaito! I'm going to be okay."

"At least now you will. Aomine Daiki I presume? the man turned to face the bluenette.

"Yes, sir. Sorry I was a little late. I couldn't find my way around here" he smiled at the brunette. The man smiled back before extending his right hand out.

"Kaito Haru. Kise's manager and the person who requested the bodyguard."

Aomine shook the hand in return while Kise widens his eyes. "Kaito! I didn't think you were being serious!" he huffed.

The brunette looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Of course I was serious Kise. I read the letters and as your manager, it's my job to make sure that your safety is my top priority."

Kise pouted.

"Kise. Listen to Kaito here. I read the letters myself and it does seem like someone wants to hurt you" Aomine tried to reason with the blond. The model slumped his shoulders before sighing in defeat. "Alright. I guess it's okay since it's just Aominecchi."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Jeez. Thanks."

Both Kise and Kaito laughed before returning to their busy schedule. Aomine followed them with ease but keeping an eye on his surroundings. For the most part, everyone seemed like they belonged in the chaos. No one stood out but Aomine couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that was crawling on the back of his neck. Finally, the show was about to begin.

Kise stood around a bunch of other models waiting for the signal to begin while the managers and Aomine waited towards the back, all on their cell phones.

"Kaito? Shouldn't I be in the crowd? I can't see and protect Kise from back here."

The manager chuckled. "Trust me Aomine. You don't want to be in the crowd. If something were to happen, you won't be able to reach Kise and that's not what I want. Right here is a perfect place to be" the brunette said calmly. Aomine nodded, having full trust in the more experienced male.

The announcer echoed through the building and the show began. One by one the models disappeared behind the black curtain and the crowd reacted positively to each of them. When Kise stepped out into the crowd, a few girls screamed in delight. Aomine rolled his eyes, knowing for a fact that the girls were just being dramatic. As the bluenette kept an eye on the people backstage, he couldn't help but notice that his uneasy feeling was getting stronger. He looked around in a frantic, trying to figure out who would try to hurt Kise at this particular moment.

"Aomine? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine Kaito. Say, since you're Kise's manager, maybe you have an idea of who this person could be" the tan man crossed his arms over his chest. The tall man sighed as he shut off his phone.

"Honestly? I do have someone in mind, but Kise **swears** that it's not him."

"Who?"

"Haizaki Shogo"

Aomine grimace at the name. Kaito noticed and frowned. "I'm guessing you know the guy?" he asked. The bluenette sighed heavily before tucking his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I know him back in high school. Always had a grudge on Kise."

"Well apparently not anymore" Kaito gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. Aomine raised an eyebrow and faced the blushing manager.

"What do you mean by that?"

No response.

"Kaito. I have to know in order to keep him safe. If Haizaki really is the culprit, I have to know why."

The manager sighed in defeat and leaned in towards Aomine's ear. "The guy is Kise's ex-lover" he whispered. Aomine's eyes went wide.

"You mean-" he began to say but was interrupted by the frantic male. "Don't repeat it! Kise still hasn't come out and he'll kill me if he found out that I told you."

The tan man gave a slight chuckle. "Kaito it's alright. I already knew that. Kise told me last night. I was just going to ask why him."

Kaito's mouth gaped open in shock.

"Why would he tell you? Wait you said last night? How did you guys meet last night?" he kept rambling on questions that made Aomine laugh even more. When Kaito paused to catch his breath, the brute decided to answer.

"Kise and I are friends from high school. We met last night because of our friend's wedding. He told about his little secret in exchange for mine."

The brunette's eyes went wide before blushing redder than what he first was. "I-I have no idea Aomine. I've only been with Kise for a few months now and he really hasn't opened much about his life to me yet. In fact, I became his new manager a few weeks into...**their **relationship" he whispered towards the end. Aomine nodded and signaled for him to continue.

"At first it seemed like it was going good. Then I saw Kise becoming more tired, paler. He started wearing long sleeves more and would ask for me to reduce his photo shoots numbers" he said sadly. Aomine bit his inner cheek, annoyed that Kise picked a guy like that to be his lover.

"Then, one night Kise didn't show up for his job. He didn't answer his phone or text messages or even answered the door when I tried to check on him. I was going to consider going to the police station before he replied back before midnight. After that, he just seemed… different" he hesitated on the last word. Aomine thinned his lips, realizing he won't like the next thing that the male will say.

"He just wasn't happy anymore. He wasn't Kise. Finally, I had a talk with him and he opened up about his relationship and how Haizaki wasn't the greatest. He still hasn't told me much about what exactly happened but I can tell that it wasn't good. Slowly, he started to get back on his feet and Haizaki was never heard from again. Until now I believe" the manager shrugged his shoulders and checked his phone once more.

Aomine's brain went in circles, trying to process what he just heard. He wanted nothing more to destroy that braided head bastard. He wanted to find the guy and lock him up for good, to make sure he never hurt the pretty blond again.

As that thought went across the brute's mind, Kise entered from the curtain and made his way over to them.

"Almost done! Just one more outfit!" he smiled brightly before being swept away by the makeup crew. Aomine smiled just as bright before glancing down at the manager.

"Anything else I should know about?"

"I don't think so. Everyone else I've come in contact with has adored Kise. That's probably why I believe it's Haizaki sending the threatening letters."

Aomine nodded. "I'll check out his record as soon as I head back to the station."

"Thank you Aomine."

Neither male spoke after that, letting the crowd's screams and people shouting interrupt their silence. Then, everything went quiet backstage. Even Kaito gasped quietly. Aomine looked up to see what the fuss was about.

Kise was wearing black joggers and a black hoodie. Over the hoodie was a black jersey that had white stitching around it. What stood out the most was his black headband with white stitching. It was a little over his forehead, making his hair being out of the way and making his golden eyes stand out even more. As he walked back to the curtain, Aomine couldn't stop himself from staring.

He'll admit: Kise looks **damn** good right this second.

Before the blond reached the curtain, he turned to face Aomine where they locked eyes for the first time that night. Everything around them was blurred for a second before Kise winked at the male and disappeared behind the curtain. Many girls cheered and even one claimed their love for the model.

Aomine tried to focus on his surroundings, but he was more focused on his racing heart trying to climb out of his chest.

_What in the hell is this?_

Before he had time to recover, the announcer declared the show was over and a round of applause was made. "Here we go. Stay sharp Aomine" Kaito said seriously. The officer only nodded and stayed by the brunette's side. One by one the models returned backstage where their managers were waiting frantically. They spotted the blond not long after and raced to go to his side, making sure no one was up to anything.

"Here's some water. I'll lead you towards your room Kise" Kaito spoke and let the way. The blond gave a smile before following. Aomine followed right behind him, his senses heightened the deeper they went backstage.

"I guess I was wrong about the culprit attacking tonight. I'm sorry if I wasted your time Aomine" the manager bowed apologetically after they rushed Kise inside his changing room. The brute waved it off.

"It's my duty to protect and serve the people of this city. Besides, I would've done the same thing. Seeing how… detailed the letters were."

Kaito nodded.

"If you get another letter or have any worries concerning Kise's safety, just call me and I'll take care of it" Aomine reassured the worried male. Kaito smiled brightly and punched his shoulder playfully. "Who knew Kise was friends with a cool police officer?"

Aomine grinned and let out a sigh of relief. At last, Kise is safe from the crowd and nothing bad has happened.

Now if only the uneasy feeling on the back of his neck could go away.

* * *

_ Drama in the next chapter. You guys aren't ready for this. DUN DUN DUUUUN! _

_Please review and follow to stay tuned for when the story update! (Sunday mornings usually.)_


	4. Anger and Guilt

_Whaaaat? Another chapter in one day? Heck yeah! Enjoy my lovely people!_

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Kaito's cell phone rang and the male frantically answered it. Nodding his head and muttering one-word replies, he shut off the phone before sighing heavily. "I hate to burden you even more Aomine but the agency just called. They need to speak to me regarding some business issues. I don't want to take Kise with me since I know how exhausted he is. Would you be willing to drop him off at his apartment?"

The brute smiled a bit. "Of course Kaito. Good luck with your meeting."

The brunette groaned as he trotted away, disappearing in the crowded hallways. Aomine looked at his watch and realized that Kise's been taking too long to change. Worried that something was to happen to him, he knocked on the door. When there was no reply, he slowly opened the door to find Kise sitting on the couch, bare-chested and have a pained expression on his face. Kise didn't notice the brute walking in. He was too focused on the text messages that were displayed on his phone. Aomine thinned his lips and walked over to the blond, shutting the door quietly.

"Hey, Kise. We gotta go."

The blond jumped in surprise and hid his phone screen from the brute. Golden eyes met navy and there was silence. Kise could see worry, sadness, and a hint of something else he couldn't quite figure out in his friend's eyes. Aomine only saw pain and worry in the others. The brute first broke eye contact and threw a shirt he found laying around.

"Put this on. I'm dropping you home tonight."

"Huh? But why? What happened with Kaito?"

"He said somethin' about meeting with the agency" the brute shrugged his shoulders. Kise sighed heavily and stood up. Stretching his back, he felt his bones pop and the blond let out a sigh of relief.

"Poor Kaito. I hope it's nothing too bad" Kise smiled as he slips on the plain white T-Shirt. Aomine cleared his throat and headed towards the door. "Yeah. Hurry up though."

When he felt like Kise was right behind him, he headed towards the exit, passing the crowd of models and businessmen with ease.

"Aominecchi! Wait!" he heard his friend calling him. He turned around to see a patch of blond being held up by his coworkers. The brute sighed before grabbing the creamy hand into his own and pulling the shy blond away from the crowd.

"Don't let go. Stay close to me alright?" Aomine told the smaller male. Kise smiled before squeezing the bigger hand. The brute smiled at the reaction and began to lead them outside. The cold wind brushed against Aomine's face when he opened the door. Kise shivered and pulled his shirt closer to him.

"Come on. Let's take you home."

Kise nodded and both began to walk across the street where the car was.

"Sir. I'm going to need you to back up."

"How about fuck you! We've been standing here in the cold waiting to meet Azuko-chan since we got VIP passes and now you're telling us that we need to wait longer!" the crowd agreed with the angry man. The security guard sighed.

"I'm sorry sir but they did just end the show. Please get back in line."

Aomine's eyebrows furrowed. He pulled Kise to the car quickly and unlocked the doors. "Kise. Get in. I'm going to see if everything is alright with the crowd over here real quick okay?"

"Are you sure Aominecchi?"

"I'll be back quickly. Just stay in the car."

"Alright. Just be careful" the blond said worriedly. The brute smirked before jogging over where the guard was.

"Is there a problem here?"

"Who the heck are you?" the man spoke up. Aomine rolled his eyes and flashed his badge to the crowd. "Officer Aomine. Look, I know it's really cold out here and you guys have been waiting patiently to see…" he paused to look at the guard. The older man mouthed a name in which Aomine understood.

"... Azuko-chan up close. I just came out and I can tell you for a fact that they're doing the best to quickly finish up backstage so they could bring you guys in. I even smelled some freshly made hot chocolate as I walked by" he somewhat lied, hoping the crowd would be more at ease. It put a few smiles on faces but the man from earlier didn't budge.

"Why should we believe you?"

Again, Aomine rolled his eyes. "Just trust me when I tell you that they're trying their best to clean up backstage. Pretty sure they'll be coming any minute to let you guys warm up and meet the fine lady" the officer said reassuringly.

"With hot chocolate?" a lady in the front spoke softly. Aomine smiled before nodding. "With hot chocolate."

With that, the crowd began to calm down. All but the same man. Though, he didn't question anymore but just glared at the officer. The brute rolled his eyes and turned towards the guard.

"I think you got a few minutes of quiet before they start again. How much longer?" he whispered. The guard shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully they come in the next five minutes or else these people will have my head."

Aomine chuckled and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "You got this. Hopefully, they are truly making hot chocolate in there though."

"You mean that was a lie?"

The officer shrugged. "I did see a few sipping on something warm back there." The guard shook his head with a smile. Just in, a lady busted the door open with a smile.

"Sorry for the wait ladies and gentlemen! You're all welcome inside now!" she chirped. The crowd sighed in relief as they all pushed to get inside the small door frame. Satisfied with the results, Aomine jogged back towards his car and opened the driver side's door.

He was expected to see a patch of blond hair laying on his console fast asleep but instead, he was greeted with plain black leather. He checked the backseat with no such luck. He shut the door and looked around his car.

No blond in sight.

Now really worried, Aomine began looking around the nearby buildings, checking to see if the blond walked inside any of them. He figured that he wouldn't have gone back to the show since he would've spotted him. As he walked towards the next building over, he heard a small whimper. Curious, Aomine sneaked towards the dark alleyway where he barely made out two figures.

"S-Shogo-kun. Please" he heard his friend's voice. Aomine's heart tightens in knots. He sounded so **broken**. Quickly, he sent a text to Wakamatsu telling him the directions of his exact locations before leaning against the wall and peeked over his shoulder to see what was the situation.

Haizaki Shogo had his hand wrapped around the Kise's throat. The blond was three inches off the ground and was pinned against the wall.

"I left for a couple of months and you decided to move on! Despicable!" the man yelled as he slammed the body against the wall, earning a groan from the model. Aomine gripped his hands into fists.

"S-Shogo-kun…" the male started which made Aomine almost gag. How dare Kise speak the bastard's name with such emotion. The male didn't deserve it. The male didn't deserve **him**.

"No **Ryouta**. You're mine. No one else can have you. Not even that filthy Aomine. Do you understand me?" the braided monster growled, reaching inside his pocket. The brute knew that this was getting bad. He had to do something and do something fast.

"Maybe you don't get what I'm saying. Maybe I'll just have to teach you a lesson again" Haizaki pulls out a pocket knife and placed it on Kise's cheek. He then began slicing the skin open, earning a cry of pain from the smaller male.

Aomine's focus turned hazy as his knuckles turned white. "Don't you dare lay another hand on him" he snarled. Haizaki turned to find Aomine slowly walking towards the pair. The braided hair chuckled darkly.

"Well, what do you know. Your new boy toy is here to save the day" he let go of the model's throat. Kise gasped as he hit the ground, coughing and spitting up blood.

"I've been wanting to do this since that night after the Winter Cup."

"Bring it on asshole."

Aomine snarled an animalistic noise before he practically lunged at the ex-basketball player. Each male threw punches at each other, landing in different places on the body. Once Haizaki landed a punch on Aomine's face, the brute fell to the ground which gave the male the advantage. He got on top of Aomine and started to aim to his face as hard and fast as he could.

The brute groaned in pain and tried to cover his face in defense. Haizaki smirked and clasped his hands together and tried to drop them on top of the brute's throat. Aomine saw this and took this chance to sit up and land a blow to Haizaki's side. The bluenette then rolled on top of the braided bastard and started to land his own punches. He didn't care where they landed. He wanted to make sure the male felt his anger. His wrath. His will to actually kill the guy.

"A-Aominecchi!" he stopped when he heard the broken voice of his friend. His hands were clenched into fists still but slowly turned his gaze to the model, knowing the male underneath him fell unconscious.

Kise had his back against the wall. His clothes were torn and he even saw some blood dripping from his friend's lips. What scared him the most was the fear expression the model had plastered on his face.

"Kise… I-" he had no idea what to say. The blond glanced at the man below him before he started to sob quietly in his hands. That instance, Wakamatsu came around the corner and stopped when he saw how bloody Aomine's hands were.

"Holy shit. Did you want to lose your job?" he yelled at the brute. He pulled the tan man off of Haizaki. He checked for a pulse, sighing in relief when he found one. "You're lucky he's alive Aomine. What the hell happened?" he stared at the back of the brute's head.

"He was hurting Kise. I came to save him and he attacked me. I was only defending myself" he muttered. Wakamatsu rolled his eyes. "Of course you were. But why go to this extent? Why risk your freakin' job for crying out loud?" he yelled again.

Aomine bit his bottom lip.

_**He was hurting Kise.**_

That's what the only thing he cared about. When he saw that knife being placed on Kise's cheek, he lost it. He didn't care that he was an officer. He didn't care he could've lost his job that instant. The only thing he cared about was protecting Kise because that was his job.

**It was Kise.**

Aomine shrugged his shoulders and took his shirt off. "Never liked the guy in the first place. Besides, most of this blood is mine, not his."

Wakamatsu shook his head and started reporting on his radio. Aomine turned to his blond friend, who was staring at the body on the ground. The brute sighed heavily before shifting his body closer to Kise.

"Kise. Put this on" he said softly as he set his own shirt on the blond's lap. Kise's eyes met the other for a second before the model began to cry and threw his body over the larger male. Aomine caught him with ease, bringing him closer as he whispers apologies in the other's ear. A few minutes later, another cop car arrived along with an ambulance who started working on Haizaki's injuries. With only a broken nose and black eye being the only severely injures the male sustained, the cops took the now awake male into their back seat.

"You're mine, Kise! I'll come back for you! Just you wait baby!" he laughed as the cops slammed the door shut and drove away. Aomine growled with disgust and pulled the blond closer to himself.

"Officer Aomine. Please sit down so I can check your injuries."

"No. Check Kise first."

"A-Aominecchi."

"No. Kise first" he ignored the blond's pleading. The medic sighed and signaled the model to sit in the back of the vehicle. While they wrapped Kise up in bandages, Aomine finally got a good look at how much Haizaki was able to mark his friend.

A few bruises on his legs and arms, a gash across his forearm and chest, and swollen lips. What stood out the most was the slash that was on Kise's left cheek. Aomine flinched as they rubbed alcohol on the wound. Kise looked up at the brute with a sad smile. Aomine's heart dropped in his chest.

"We're all done Kise-san. The lacerations weren't very deep but please make sure you change the bandages at least once a day until they've healed" the medic helped Kise out the vehicle. Aomine sighed as he was placed in the same spot while they worked on his hands and face. Luckily, Aomine suffered only a black eye and bruised knuckles. Once they finished wrapping both of his hands, they let them go.

"Aomine-san, please make sure you rest those hands and take medication for the swelling. I suggest you put ice on your injuries as well until they no longer feel pain" the medic told the brute. Aomine nodded and placed a hand on Kise's back.

"Thanks. We'll be heading out now" he pushed Kise towards the car. Neither male has spoken to each other since Kise's breakdown. It wasn't until both men got inside the car and started to drive away that Kise spoke.

"W-Where are we going?"

Aomine sighed. "I'm taking you home. I have to go to the police station and make a report."

"S-So you're going to leave me alone?" the blond whimpered. The brute glanced over to the smaller male, seeing him hugging his body for comfort.

"Did you want to come with me to the station?" he asked. Kise nodded. "I don't want to be alone right now."

The tan man gripped the steering wheel tighter but didn't respond. Instead, he made a right turn to head towards the station, the guilt following him close behind.

* * *

_ Reason behind having two chapters into one Sunday is because I was so focused on writing that I didn't realize that I wrote the chapter over 4,000 words. I thought that it might be a bit too much for a chapter so I split it into two. I apologize for the fight scene. I've never written one before so I hope it was good enough..? Anyways, please leave a review if you like and follow to know when the story is updated._

_Or you could just come back on Sundays. Whatever works for you._


	5. Sleepover

_**Hooray ID: Of course Aomine wasn't going to let him go home by himself after that! He is Kise's "personal" bodyguard after all *wink wink*. Thank you for the two updates! There's more drama to come but first! Enjoy a little fluff here.**_

_**powerpuff-girl543: Thank you so much for the review and I hope you'll continue reading this story! Trust me it only gets better after this chapter. **_

_I apologize for my delay in posting the chapters. Two weeks ago, I was admitted to the hospital for kidney stones and let me tell you, THEY ARE NOT FUN. I got back almost a week after I was admitted and was put on bed rest. Then I had issues with my job because of the hospital visit and just ugh. Point is, I'm alive! I haven't forgotten this story! There's more to it and because of my absence, I will be posting again two chapters, three if I can get enough words. Thank you for your support! Enjoy Chapter five!_

* * *

While Aomine was scribbling on the paper to write his report about what happened, Kise decided to look around. There were desks all around the room. Some were messy, some were clean, and one of them had a row of action figures. His bodyguard's desk was in the middle, having another desk placed across from him. When Kise looked closer, the desk had nothing but pictures of a woman holding a newborn baby in her arms.

Kise smiled and continued on. He stood away from the working officers, knowing that they were talking to victims and writing their own reports. However, one blond officer came up to him with a smile.

"Good to see you all bandaged up."

"H-Huh?" Kise stuttered. The male in front of him was much taller than him. Blinking a few times, the model finally realized who he was.

"Wakamatsu? Is that you?

"The one and only" both male smiled at each other. "How's the pain? I'm sorry I didn't talk to you back there but I had to deal with the situation" the officer rubbed the back of his neck in nerves. Kise waved it off.

"It's okay. You had a job to do. Nothing was broken but I might end up having some scars" he nervously laughed. Wakamatsu frowned but didn't reply. "A-Anyways, wow! A police officer! I didn't know you wanted to fight crime and stop the bad guys like Aominecchi."

"Well, technically Aomine wanted to do it because of me. I became a cop faster than he did" the blond said smugly.

"By like a month!" Aomine shouted, fuming that Kise was talking to the annoying male. The smug man cracked a chuckle before setting his eyes on the smaller one.

"But still. Not the rookie of the force here."

Kise laughed before eyeing the room once more. "So, where do you sit?" Wakamatsu glanced at the desk where it held the photo. The model followed his gaze and smiled softly.

"Your wife and child?"

"Married for a year and just had a beautiful boy." Wakamatsu smiled happily before his phone began to ring. The officer sighed and faced the confused model. "I'm afraid I must go. Hope you feel better Kise!" he yelled as he left the station. Kise only waved before sitting on Aomine's desk.

"So is it true? You wanted to be in the force because of your former teammate?" Kise asked. Aomine rolled his eyes before answering back. "Of course not. He was just being an idiot."

The blond pouted. "So then why a police officer?"

Aomine bit his bottom lip. On one hand, Kise and himself have gotten closer and he does feel comfortable talking to the male. On the other hand, the reason why is pretty personal and he's not sure they should go down that path just yet.

Instead, the brute shrugged his shoulders and continued writing his report. Kise pouted but didn't pressure on, feeling that he hit a nerve. In the next few minutes, two officers came through the front door struggling with a guy cuffed up.

"Oh come on! She started the fight! Why aren't you arresting her!" he screamed as the officers continuing leading him towards the back. Aomine rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples in annoyance.

"Is it always that crazy Aominecchi?"

The brute nodded, debating if he could just lay his head on the desk and fall asleep. Sensing what the other person might be feeling, Kise got up from the table and went behind the tan man. "You look tense. Is it okay if I try something? It might help." Aomine shrugged and continued on with his paper.

The model hesitated for a second before placing his hands on top of the male's shoulders, stopping Aomine's actions. The blond started to massage the other, focusing on the crook of the neck. The brute instantly relaxed with the touch and slumped his arms. Neither male said anything as the massage continued. When the blond removed his hands, Aomine stretched his back, earning a loud—_pop_—sound as he did. The brute sighed with delight as he faced the flushed model.

"Where the hell did you learn how to give amazing massages?" Aomine asked. Kise looked down at the ground.

"I did a photoshoot with this other model. I don't remember his name but he saw how tense I was and gave me a massage. After that, he showed me how and people ask for them ever since" Kise smiled sheepishly.

Aomine nodded approvingly before finishing the last touches on his report. "Let me just put this in the Chief's office and then we can head out" he stood up from his desk. Kise nodded and followed the bigger male to a small room in the corner. The brute opened and closed the door before Kise had time to see what was inside.

"Come on. Let's take you home" he mumbled before walking out the door. The blond bit his lip and followed the taller male. Both men kept quiet until they reached the familiar black car.

"A-Aominecchi?" the blond stuttered while playing with his fingers. Aomine raised an eyebrow. "I-I really don't want to be alone. I-Is it okay if I stay with you?" Kise asked quietly, barely loud enough for the other person to hear. The brute widens his eyes before giving a cough.

"If you really want to. My place isn't the cleanest right now" he shrugged his shoulders. The other responded with a nod before sitting in his seat once more.

The ride to Aomine's apartment was a quiet one. Both males were deep within their thoughts that neither remembered how they arrived so quickly. Following Aomine up the stairs, Kise took the insight of the building where the police officer was living in. It wasn't as nice as his place was but it was definitely cozier. When they reached a wooden door, Aomine rubbed the back of his neck as he inserted his keys.

"Uh. Sorry about the mess" he said as he opened the door. Kise's eyes went wide. The apartment was just as messy as Aomine left it.

"Aominecchi! This is insane! How do you live like this?" the blond exploded as he continued walking around the place. The brute rolled his eyes as he shut the door. "It's not so bad. I just haven't had time to clean."

The blond shook his head but didn't reply. Aomine led him to the bedroom where Kise sighed in disappointment. "I thought to be an officer you had to be organized."

"I am. As I said, haven't had time" the brute rolled his eyes. He went towards his closet and grabbed the smallest pair of sweats he owned along with the first shirt he found. "Here. Probably won't fit you but it's the smallest I have" he said as he threw the clothes. Kise caught it with ease before a blush was formed on his cheeks.

"I-Is it alright if I could use your shower? I feel like I have dry blood everywhere."

Aomine tensed but nodded. Kise disappeared behind the wooden door and it wasn't until Aomine heard the water running that he let out a sigh. He then changed out of his own clothes before slipping into some basketball shorts. The brute headed towards the kitchen where he figured he'd make some tea. He remembered a while back Kise would sometimes drink it to help him relax. As he set the filled kettle on the stove, he couldn't help but think about what happened earlier tonight, feeling more guilty as time passed by.

The screeching of the pot snapped Aomine out of his thoughts. He quickly poured two steaming cups and prepared the tea.

"Aominecchi?" he heard the blond's voice behind me. Aomine turned to freeze at the sight. Kise was wearing the sweats he gave him and none other than his old Teiko basketball jersey. The blond's hair was still dripping lightly, making the whole scene rather erotic. Aomine bit his lip as his eyes shifted to the gash on his cheek. "I need your help putting the ointment and bandages" Kise didn't meet the other's eyes.

The brute nodded as he set a cup of hot tea in front of Kise. "Drink. Try to stay still" Aomine said simply. Kise hugged the cup carefully, letting his shoulders relax. Aomine then sat right next to Kise's left and started putting the ointment on.

"How did you know that jasmine was my favorite tea?"

"You mentioned it one day. Besides, I like the smell it gives out."

"Ahh."

They fell into a comfortable silence before Kise dropped his head, causing Aomine to brush his fingers against the blond's ear.

"Kise! I told you to-"

"He was my ex-boyfriend."

The officer dropped his supplies on the table and leaned back in the chair, waiting for the other to continue.

"After high school, he came to find me and wanted to apologize for the way he was acting. One thing led to another and we were dating. At first, it was great. We went to dinner, swam at the beach, even went to some major basketball games together. It was great" Kise took a shaky breath.

"Then, he changed. He became violent and demanding and I just felt… trapped. No matter what I did, it wasn't enough for him. Everything that I ever loved became dead to me. My career, my friends, my love for basketball! Can you believe it? He actually made me start to hate basketball. And just one day, I couldn't take it anymore. It was the biggest fight we had. After that, he left and I never heard from him again. Until tonight" the blond began to sob and Aomine's heart broke.

He bit his cheek to stop himself from crying as he pulled the smaller male into a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Kise's crying started to calm down. "I'm so sorry Kise. I'm so **fucking** sorry" Aomine's voice broke.

The blond looked up at his friend with a confused look.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have left you alone. I should've protected you better. I shouldn't have let my guard down. It's my fault that he got to you. It's my fault that you look like this now. I just–fuck–I couldn't protect you" Aomine buried his face in the male's shoulder, refusing to look at anything.

Kise smiled sadly and ran his fingers through the dark blue locks. "It's not your fault, Aominecchi. If it wasn't for you, Shogo-kun would've probably killed me" the blond nervously laughed. Aomine snapped and gripped Kise's arms.

"Don't you **ever** say his name like that again. He doesn't fucking deserve it" he lowly growled. The blond flinched at the pressure but nodded. "O-Okay Aominecchi. C-Can you let go? You're hurting me."

The brute took a deep breath and dropped his arms. "Hurry up with your tea. I'll make the bed so you can sleep" Aomine muttered. Kise watched as the male walked away, rubbing his arms from what happened a few moments ago. The brute slammed the door shut and started to pace in his room, trying to calm himself down. Just hearing that bastard's name made him go into a blind fury. He wished he did more damage. Wish he had broken more than his nose.

What disgusted him the most is how easy Kise can still say his name as if he's still important to the blond's life. Aomine tightened his hands into fists and paced his room faster. After a few minutes, the brute sat at the edge of the bed, finally able to think straight. A knock on the door was made before Kise slowly came into the room.

"A-Aominecchi? Can you put the bandage on now?" he asked nervously. The brute sighed heavily and patted the spot right next to him. The blond smiled before handing him the supplies. In a flash, the bandage was on and both men were ready for bed.

"If you need anything, I'll just be in the living room" Aomine shrugged and began to walk out. "W-Wait!" Kise stopped him. The brute turned around confusingly, waiting for Kise to finished.

"I'm scared to be alone. C-Can you sleep with me? Besides, it's your bed after all" Kise rushed. Aomine coughed a bit before rubbing the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah sure."

Both males crawled to their side of the bed before turning off the light.

"Hey, Aominecchi?" Kise yawned in the darkness. Aomine grunted as he started to drift off to sleep.

"_Thank you for everything."_

* * *

_It's short I know but the next chapter will be posted in a few minutes._


	6. Detective Aomine

_Second chapter, my lovelies! Again, sorry for the delay!_

* * *

Aomine groaned loudly as the sunlight was pouring directly on his face. As he sat up, he realized that the spot right next to him was empty. Memories of last night came back and he nearly tripped as he raced to the kitchen. When he opened the door, he was greeted with a sparkling apartment and a certain blond cooking in the kitchen. Aomine blinked a few times, trying to see if he was dreaming or not.

"Good morning Aominecchi! Your boss called a few minutes ago and I told him what had happened. He said you could take the day off today! Oh, and I hope you don't mind but I cleaned up a bit. The smell of old coffee is just not pleasant to wake up to" Kise came out from the kitchen carrying two plates. Aomine blinked again.

"I think I must be dreaming."

"How sweet to know that you dream of me" Kise winked as he set the plates down on the now clean table. Aomine slowly made his way to the chair and stared at the delicious food that was in front of him.

"After breakfast, you should take a shower so I could help wrap up your hands again," Kise said as he poured some coffee into a clean mug.

Aomine only nodded.

As they began to eat their breakfast quietly, Aomine couldn't help but notice how cheerful the other has become. Even though his arm was wrapped in gauze and his left cheek was still covered with the bandage from last night.

"Kise. Why are you doing this?" he couldn't help but ask. The blond gave him a small smile before rubbing his injured cheek.

"I just wanted to thank you for last night" he paused before looking around the spotless apartment. "And I couldn't stand how dirty your apartment was."

Aomine laughed, almost spitting out his coffee before he nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It was pretty bad."

"Do you wanna know how many different types of chips you had stuck in your couch?!"

"No, I really-"

"Seven! Seven different kinds!"

Aomine sighed heavily before laughing. "Well, thanks."

Kiss rolled his eyes and took the empty plates back to the kitchen. "You should also start taking care of yourself more. I had to run to the store really quick in order to make breakfast."

Aomine jerked his head up to glare at the model. "You mean you left the apartment? By yourself?" he asked. Kise waved him off and he started to wash the dishes.

"Aominecchi. You're not always going to be there to protect me. Besides, I was just going to the market down the street."

The brute grunted and stood up from the table. "I'm gonna hit the shower" and walked out of the room. He stayed underneath the water to process his thoughts. He couldn't believe that Kise left the apartment by himself. As if last night never happened. Didn't anyone question his injures? His face?

Aomine cringed. Since the brute was late in saving the model, he will forever have a scar to remember the night and he couldn't forgive himself for that. He just wants to stay by Kise's side and make sure no one else hurts the blond.

He wants to stay with him always.

That's normal to feel for your friends, right?

"Aominecchi!" Kise's voice came from the other side of the door. The tan man grunted and pulled back the curtain. "What do you want?" he shouted.

"Hurry! Wakamatsu is here!" he heard a smile through Kise's voice. Aomine rolled his eyes but did hurry with his shower. He rushed out of the bathroom and pulled on a pair of sweats before entering the living room.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the taller blond. Wakamatsu rolled his eyes and threw something at him. Aomine caught it with ease.

"Just wanted to congratulate you. Chief thought that it was pretty heroic what you did last night so you're no longer a rookie" the blond crossed his arms over his chest with a genuine smile. Aomine widen his eyes and opened his hand to reveal a new silver badge. On it was **AOMINE DAIKI, POLICE DETECTIVE **engraved underneath the police force logo.

"I did it?"

Wakamatsu smiled. "Yep. Took you long enough partner" he winked at the tan man. Aomine looked up at him. "Wait, they assigned us together?"

The older blond shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't have anyone else."

Aomine rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Well, I gotta head back into work. Chief said to be there tomorrow ready for another case" Wakamatsu said seriously before turning to Kise. "Thanks again for the autograph, Kise. My wife is going to love it."

"Anything for a friend" Kise winked and walked the officer out the door, seeing Aomine still starstruck. When it was just the two of them once again, Kise beamed and rushed over to the brute.

"You did it, Aomine! Congratulations! This calls for a celebration!" Kise burst in excitement and started to scroll through his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to call our friends! We gotta go out!"

Aomine bit his lip and snatched the phone away from the model. Kise pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Give it back Aominecchi!"

"I don't want to go out Kise."

"Huh? Why not?"

Aomine rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided Kise's gaze. "Today, I just want to relax in my now clean apartment and I don't know, eat some take out? It's been a long time since I was able to relax" his cheeks flushed a bit.

Kise smiled before setting a hand on Aomine's arm. "Okay. I won't call them" he paused as he began chewing on his bottom lip. The brute raised an eyebrow as he tried not to bite his own lips.

"But w-would you like some company?" Kise asked nervously. Aomine widens his eyes at the question.

"I-I mean that's only if you w-want to! I'm not gonna force you or something! I-It's your day!" Kise kept stumbling over his words which made the brute burst out laughing. When the model realized the laughter, he stopped talking and pouted. "What's so funny Aominecchi?"

"Oh, nothing. You're just cute when you stumble" the man replied without thinking. Both men gasped and turned away from each other, a blush creeping on both of their cheeks.

"D-Do you want pizza?"

"Sounds good. I-I'll get the movie."

They moved quickly as they avoided one another because of Aomine's comment. It wasn't until they were sitting down in front of the TV wrapping the brute's hands that they finally spoke.

"So, are you going to work anytime soon? I mean, would you? Since uh" the brute eyed Kise's left cheek with worry. The blond finished with the other's hands and smiled sadly.

"It's nothing a little makeup can't fix. I just hope it's not actually permanent" Kise looked down to the ground while touching his injured cheek. Aomine's heart clenched and reached for the model's hand. Grasping it, he waited until Kise's eyes met his.

"It won't be. I promise you."

They stared into each other's eyes for a while until Kise looked away, tears rolling down his cheeks. "T-Thank you Aominecchi. I hope you know that don't blame you for it."

Aomine bit his lip as he held his response back.

_No, but you should. It really is all my fault._

The doorbell echoed throughout the apartment, making both males jump to their feet. Aomine rubbed the back of his neck as Kise walked over to the door. He talked with the pizza man for a bit before shutting it and returned with three boxes.

"You ordered three?"

"Knowing you, you probably will eat one by yourself."

The brute rolled his eyes but smiled. They sat near each other on the couch as Aomine played the movie once more. For hours, they talked, laughed, and ate greasy pizza while movies kept playing on the big screen. It wasn't until the ending credits of the fifth movie that both men realized it was getting pretty late. Kise yawned as he slowly stood up from the couch, Aomine following close behind.

"I'll take you home."

"You don't have to do that."

"Kise, let me-"

"No Aominecchi" Kise said firmly. The brute raised an eyebrow. "And why the hell not?"

The blond turned to look at him. "You've done so much for me already. It's time for me to go home. You can't always protect me" Kise smiled softly. Aomine felt a lump in his throat as those words slipped from the other's mouth.

"I'll be okay. I promise."

Aomine sighed heavily but didn't respond to the blond. They started to put on their shoes and walked out the door together. Slowly climbing down the stairs, they reached outside where the sun was beginning to set, letting a beautiful orange-pink color the sky.

Kise waved for a taxi and immediately one stopped in front of him. He opened the door and turned to face the brooding man. "Aominecchi relax. I'll be okay. I'll call you when I make it home safely okay?" Kise smiled brightly and slowly opened his arms for the brute. Aomine didn't hesitate as he wrapped his arms around Kise's shoulders, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

"Please get home safe" he whispered quietly, sending shivers down the blond's back. They broke apart quickly and Kise had to watch his breathing as he climbed inside the car. He shut the door and waved goodbye as the car sped away from the brute's apartment.

Aomine waved back and watched the car disappear from his sight, his insides gnawing at him to chase after him. When he couldn't find the car anymore, he dropped his shoulders and slowly walked back up the stairs. He reached his apartment and breathed a heavy sigh. Looking around his place, he realizes that Kise did a really good job. As he picked up the pizza boxes, he tried to focus his thoughts on anything but his cell phone.

He was putting in the last of the pizzas in his fridge when he heard his phone go off. He ran straight to his living room and grasped the little device in his hands. Aomine sighed in relief as he saw Kise's text, letting him know that he was at home safe and sound. That one text alone made all of his tense muscles relax as he replied back. Feeling happier, he went towards his room and found half of his clothes folded. Sighing once more, he began folding and putting away laundry as another text from Kise popped up. He paused for a minute to look down at the screen.

**Kise: See! I told you Aominecchi! I would make it home safely 3.**

**Aomine: Yeah yeah. What are you going to do now?**

**Kise: I don't know yet. Maybe a bubble bath or something o0o**

**Aomine: Do you have everything you need for your cheek? I can come over and bring them to you.**

**Kise: Aominecchi! I'm okay! Relax xD I have stuff at my house too!**

**Aomine: Just making sure c:**

**Kise: xD lol you're so paranoid**

Aomine smiled as he kept texting the blond back and forth. He slowly laid down on his bed and they continued their conversation. Minutes turn into hours and Aomine realized he didn't finish with his clothes. Rushing, he threw everything he had in his drawers and closet before setting back with his phone.

A few texts later, they said goodnights to each other before Aomine got ready to sleep. As he laid down on his bed, he couldn't help but feel the small butterflies that were nesting in his stomach. Trying to shake it off, he turned to his side and got a whiff of the slight smell of strawberries. Aomine gripped the sheets closer to him and sighed happily, letting a certain blond invade his dreams.

* * *

_I'm sorry that not a lot happened in these two chapters, but the fun really begins next chapter when a certain redhead comes back *wink wink*_


	7. A Fight Leading to a Date

**_Hooray ID: Don't worry. It won't be the last time that they share a bed. Also, be prepared for more oblivious Aomine. I just think he's so cute like that. Thank you so much for your constant reviews. It really does make my days better._**

_I'm sorry it took me a while to post it but I couldn't find a good stopping point so that's why this chapter is longer than the rest. There is some drama in this as promised but this is only the start. So get ready. Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Grabbing the pistol from the counter, he slowly aimed at the target in front of him. He pulled the trigger, sending three gunshots roaring through the firing range. Aomine sighed calmly as he set it back down, taking off his earmuffs.

"Great shot Aomine!" he heard his partner behind him. The brute smiled as he noticed where the bullets landed: three perfect headshots.

He handed the earmuffs to his partner as he exited the room, wanting to go see where to get lunch today. He raised his hand closer to his face as he flexed it back and forth, knowing how much as improved. It's been a week since the incident with Haizaki and Aomine was still as furious as that fateful day. When Kise went home after celebrating his promotion, he found out that the bastard made bail. He currently has a court date in a few weeks but he knows that he won't go to that.

What annoys him the most is that Kise is taking all of this news rather well. He went back to work as if nothing has happened. He's not worried that Haizaki is coming back and refuses for the newly detective to help him out.

It makes Aomine's teeth grind.

As he reached the corner market to get himself a sandwich, his phone started to ring from his jacket. He grabbed it fairly quickly and answered it without checking the ID.

"Hello? Aomine speaking."

"_Wow! Sound so professional_" he heard a familiar voice from the other side. Aomine stopped walking while he widens his eyes. The butterflies in his stomach increased, making him lose his breath.

"K-Kagami."

"_That's my name!"_

"W-Why are you calling me? Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"

"_We just got back today. I was calling because I wanted to see if you were up for a little one-on-one later today?"_

Aomine bit his inner cheek, trying to stop his beating heart explode out of his chest. "Um… Shouldn't you be resting? I mean you did get home after all."

"_Nah. I slept on the airplane. Besides, going back home and beating my family at basketball made me miss my best friend."_

Aomine swallowed hard.

"_So? You in?"_

The brute closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. "Yeah. I can do that" he heard himself say.

"_Great! Meet you at the regular court after work!"_ the redhead on the other line exclaimed before he hung up. Aomine sighed heavily as he walked into the market even though he lost his appetite. He knew that he would have to see Kagami after the wedding. He just didn't expect it to be so soon.

Walking back to the station after grabbing some food for himself and his partner, he groaned when he realized how much paperwork was waiting for him at his desk. Today was going to suck and the brute knows it.

_**AominexKise-AominexKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise**_

Feeling the familiar ball in his hand, Aomine dribbed it before jumping high and slam dunking it into the hoop. Knowing that his lifetime crush will be here any minute, he decided to warm up without him, hoping that his nerves would subside soon.

"Aomine! You started without me?" Kagami jogged up to him with a smile. The brute felt a lump in his throat. He turned around with a fake smile and threw the ball at his best friend.

"You were late, Bakagami."

"By like five minutes!"

Aomine shrugged his shoulders and got into a defensive stance. "Enough talk. Let's see how bad you became without practicing for weeks."

Kagami rolled his eyes and started to bounce the ball next to him. "Probably not as bad as you."

The redhead charged forward to begin the game. Both former aces played to their heart's content. They laughed, cursed, and playfully punched each other throughout the match. It wasn't until when Aomine was one point more when a cell phone interrupted the game. Both men groaned as they reached into their pockets to check whose it was.

"Hi, honey!" Kagami smiled over the phone. Aomine gritted his teeth as he watched his best friend lose interest in him. He snatched the ball away from the redhead and dribbed by himself.

"I'll be right there. Okay. Love you too" the redhead hung up, making Aomine tense up. "I'm sorry Aomine but I gotta head home."

"Of course" the brute scowled as he shot and missed the hoop. Kagami raised an eyebrow and walked closer to him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Go be with your wife" Aomine didn't face him. Kagami huffed and grabbed his arm to spin him around, making him look into his eyes.

"Aomine don't be a dick. What the hell is wrong?"

The brute rolled his eyes again. "Oh look. Now you care."

The redhead narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since she's got into your life, she's always been a top priority. My girlfriend needs this. My girlfriend wants that. Fuck! This is the first time we've played basketball since you got engaged eight months ago!" Aomine flared his arms in the air.

Kagami shook his head. "That's not true. We played a couple of days before the wedding."

"No. We got on the court and dribble the ball before your _fiancée _came over and took you away" the brute huffed. The redhead crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well sorry that I wasn't there to play. She's my wife now and she needs me."

"Well, I needed you too asshole" Aomine sank his shoulders. "Just forget it. I'm going home anyway."

The brute walked out of the court and disappeared in the streets before his best friend could find him. He kept walking and walking until he found himself sitting next to a nearby creek, watching fishes splash around. The noise brought the wedding back to Aomine's mind, making him sigh in pain.

_Ring! Ring!_

Aomine pulled out his phone and checked the ID, rolling his eyes as he sent it to voicemail. He did this three more times before he had enough and answered the phone.

"What do you want!" he screamed angrily.

"_Woah. Sounds like Aominecchi didn't get enough sleep last night."_

The brute sighed heavily and threw a rock in the water. "Sorry Kise. I thought you were someone else."

"_Who did you think I was? Kagamicchi?"_

"How did-?"

"_I knew that Kagamicchi and his wife got home today. I figured that you guys would hang out."_

"Ah."

"_So I'm guessing that you guys didn't?"_

"We did. It's just…" Aomine sighed again and dropped his face. "He had to leave early again and I just snapped."

"_I'm sorry Aominecchi. Tell you what. I'm finishing up this modeling job close to your house. If you want, afterward we can hang out? Cheer you up?"_

"Like what?"

"_Well, we still need to finish watching the long list of movies you had planned out. Or we could go drinking. Or-"_

"Drinking and food would be good."

"_Yay! I'll text you the address! You're gonna love this so hurry!" _Kise said happily. Hearing the cheery voice brought Aomine feeling much better.

"Alright. I'm gonna go change really quick" he said as he hung up. He stood up quickly and headed towards his place, feeling much better than before. After arriving, showering, and changing into street clothes, Aomine was all ready to go. He reached his door and opened it to only freeze in his tracks.

"Kagami?" he heard himself say. The redhead was leaning against the wall across from his place. He was wearing some black jeans and a white shirt, making his hair color stand out even more. He looked up into navy blue eyes when his name was called.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked the still man. Aomine took a shaky breath as he shut his door behind him. "Uh yeah, a bit."

Kagami shifted uncomfortably. "You going out?"

"Yeah?"

"With who?" Kagami got off the wall and leaned closer to the male. Aomine raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms over his chest. "With Kise."

Kagami widens his eyes a bit. "I didn't know that you and Kise were close."

The brute shrugged his shoulders. "We started to hang out after the wedding. He's actually better to handle than middle school" Aomine watched the figure in front of him in amusement. If he knew any better, it looked like Kagami was actually jealous.

"Okay well I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out since you weren't getting enough attention but guess another time" Kagami shrugged his shoulders and started to walk away. Aomine sighed and gripped his wrist. "Come on Bakagami. You can come too" the brute smiled and started making his way out of the place, Kagami happily following along.

It took them a few minutes to reach the building, talking every now and then. Kagami mentioned what had happened during the honeymoon and all of the sightseeing they've done while Aomine bit his tongue the entire way. They stopped once they saw reporters flashing their cameras in a big circle. Both men raised their eyebrows as they came closer to the crowd.

"Mr. Kise-sama! Over here!"

"Smile!"

"Can we do an interview about what happened between you and Haizaki-san?"

Aomine's blood boiled as they mentioned the bastard's name. He stepped into the crowd of reporters and pulled Kise to his side. "That will be enough questions. Leave" he said coldly. A few reporters scowled but none stayed after the brute made that comment. Once they left, Kise breathed out a sigh of relief and looked up towards Aomine.

"Thanks for that."

The brute shrugged his shoulders and let the blond go, noticing the butterflies in his stomach disappeared. Kise dusted off his clothes and glanced up with a smile.

"Kagamicchi! I didn't know you were coming!" he said happily. The redhead smiled back. "It was a last-minute thing. I haven't hung out with my best friend in a while."

Kise nodded and turned to face the brute.

"Did you still want to go out drinking and food?"

Aomine smiled with a nod. "Yeah. I don't see why not." Kise jumped for joy as he practically ran towards the end of the sidewalk, calling a cab for the three. Kagami leaned against the brute, making him shiver by the touch.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? He seems like the same loud Kise as middle school."

Aomine chuckled a bit before setting his hand of the redhead's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Kise really is not that bad. He's actually…" Aomine's voice fell through with a smile on his face. Kagami nodded but didn't reply to his best friend.

"Come on! I know this great place that you'll like" Kise grasped Aomine's wrist and pulled him towards the waiting cab, making Kagami shake his head but follow. During the car ride, all three men sat in silence, not knowing who should break the ice first. Though when the driver turned into a small parking lot, Kise started jumping in his seat with excitement.

"Here it is! Thank you!" he thanked the driver and handed him the right amount of money to pay him. The driver smiled widely and winked at the blond, making the model blush. All three got out of the car and gazed up at the small building, letting the car sped off into the night.

"This… is it?" Aomine asked confusingly. Knowing Kise, he was expecting a grand building that had VIP entrances and fancy windows that had long drapes with them. Not this small building with a single door that looked borderline like an apartment complex.

He wasn't complaining though. He wasn't a man that likes flashy things.

"What? Does Aominecchi not like it?"

"No. It's not that. It's just…"

"Knowing you, it would be those fancy places that had like four different kinds of forks" Kagami finished for the brute. Kise smiled brightly and started to head inside.

"Yeah, that does sound like me. But not to worry! I remember that Aominecchi doesn't like places like those" he opened the door for the both of them. Aomine smiled brightly as he walked inside, Kagami and Kise following right after.

The smell of burgers and beer hit everyone's nostrils with anticipation.

"Kise! Long-time no see partner!" a man in his early fifties was cleaning some glass mugs behind a counter. Kise smiled with delight and gave the man a wave. "Hi, Trey! I know I'm sorry. Been busy at work lately" Kise said sheepishly as he walked towards the counter. Trey laughed before looking behind the blond.

"Oh? You brought friends?"

Kise nodded and turned back to them. "Yep! Trey, this is Kagamicchi and Aominecchi" he paused as the two males came closer to the counter. "Guys, this is Trey. He owns this place" Kise stepped to the side as the men shook hands.

"Nice to finally meet some of Kise's friends" Trey turned to the blond and winked at him, making the blond flush. Aomine raised an eyebrow between the two while Kagami looked around the place with a smile.

"It reminds me of the States."

"Born and raised there buddy" Trey pointed behind him to let them see an American flag displayed in a case. Kagami smiled brightly as he leaned closer to the counter. "Really? What part?"

"Tennessee. My guess is you're from more from the West?"

"Yeah? How did you know?"

Trey shrugged and finished with his cups. "You have a slight accent."

"So do you."

They both chuckled and began speaking to each other in English. Aomine took this time to get closer to Kise and pulled him to the side.

"How did you find this place?" Aomine couldn't help but ask. Kise looked up at him with a smile. "It's kind of a funny story-" he stopped for a phone to interrupt the atmosphere. Aomine rolled his eyes as he faced the embarrassed redhead, knowing already who was on the other line. Kagami answered, gave a few "okays" and hung up with a sour face.

"I'm sorry Aomine but I gotta go again" the redhead faced him. The tan man shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright," he said cooly as the redhead said goodbye to both Kise and Trey. Once the redhead was out the door, Trey sighed happily and looked at the two men standing in his restaurant.

"I'm guessing you want the usual Kise?" he asked. The blond nodded and grabbed Aomine by the arm.

"Yes, please. Though, Aominecchi might need a few minutes."

"Be my guest" Trey winked at him before disappearing in the back. Kise smiled and sat himself and Aomine in a booth a few feet away from the counter.

"Now since we're alone, tell me what happened!" Kise squealed as he handed Aomine a menu. The brute rolled his eyes and stared at the words in front of him. "Nothing really. I was just being a major crybaby and that's why he wanted to hang out tonight to make up for it."

"Aww. Did Aomine felt neglected by Kagamicchi?" the blond wiggled his eyebrows, making the brute snort.

"It wasn't like that."

Kise laughed.

"Okay. Maybe it was like that. I don't know. It just… ever since he was engaged to her, we never really hung out and now he comes back and wants to pretend as nothing happened?" Aomine dropped his shoulders. Kise patted his left hand to comfort the brute.

"I'm sure Kagamicchi wasn't doing it on purpose. Besides, he's got another important person in his life so I'm sure he was having a hard time trying to find time for everyone" Kise said hopefully. Aomine grunted and put the menu back.

"I guess. Still, a reply to a text every now and then would've been nice."

Kise giggled. "You're sounding like a clingy girlfriend."

Aomine's cheeks turned red as he looked away from the blond's face. "I-I do not!" he huffed. The model burst out laughing as Trey walked over to the table.

"Here's your strawberry daiquiri" he set the glass down in front of the laughing blond. "And what would you be having?" Trey asked the blushing man.

"J-Just four burgers and some cold beer."

The old man smiled. "I like you. Very American that order is" he winked as he walked away.

"Aww! Trey likes you!" Kise said happily. Aomine raised an eyebrow as he looked back at the old man. "Uh. No offense but he's probably old enough to be my father."

Kise laughed again. "No! Not like that Aominecchi! Like he likes you as a friend. He always winks to people that he likes."

The brute nodded and thanked Trey when he set three cold bottles of beer on the table. "Your food will be coming out soon," he said simply before heading back towards the counter. Aomine looked around to place to finally realize that they're the only people there.

"It's just us."

"We came early. Normally people don't show up until around eight-thirty" Kise took a sip of his drink. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Aomine checked the time. Eight-fifteen.

The brute took one of the bottles and took a swing of it, feeling the same buzz he gets every time he drinks.

"So, you never got to finish your story."

"Oh right!" Kise smiled as he set his chin on his hands with a dazed look. "I was running away from the press again" he paused to roll his eyes. "When I rushed inside this place, I ducked behind that counter where a confused Trey was eyeing me. He didn't say anything about me but managed to get the press to sit down and eat something" Kise huffed, making Aomine chuckle.

"Don't tell me he-"

"They stayed for over three hours! Meanwhile, I was hiding behind that counter, starving for smelling the food and cranky for sitting for way too long" he took another sip. Aomine leaned in a bit closer, invested in the story.

"So then what happened?"

Kise's cheeks flushed as he stuttered his next words. "T-Trey leaned in and told me that I could've escaped a while ago. That he kept them here so I could leave in peace behind the back."

"SO YOU SAT THERE FOR NOTHING?" Aomine roared with laughter, making Kise blush even more. "I-It's not my fault! I didn't know what he was doing!" Kise took another sip from his drink. Once Aomine calmed down, he shook his head as he took a drink.

"You are so slow Kise"

"Aominecchi!" the blond pouted. Aomine smirked and leaned in even closer.

"Yes? You called?" the brute watched as the other male's face turned completely red and shifted his gaze away. For a second, the brute wondered what kind of face he was making underneath his hair.

Then he realized what he was doing.

He was flirting.

With Kise.

And it made him feel really good.

Aomine snapped back to his place as the smell of food hit his nostrils. "Alright! Sorry it took so long but the food is finally here" Trey said with a smile as he set down two plates in front of the males.

They thanked the older male as he walked away, letting Aomine stare at the four massive burgers that were on his place.

"What's wrong? Don't think you'll finish it, big guy?" Kise asked with a smirk. Aomine grinned and grabbed one with his hands. "Watch me blondie."

He could get used to this. It was normal to casually flirt with your friends as you eat in a nice restaurant together. That's what Aomine kept telling himself over and over again as he tried not to imagine Kise in a different light.

* * *

_ Hehehe. I know not much drama but it's just the beginning. I couldn't help myself to more fluff though. Please review and I'll see you next Sunday!_


	8. Jealousy isn't Healthy

_**powerpuffgirl543: I'm okay in health-wise now but now I start school next week so I'll be even busier Dx. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story and hope you continue on reading it. I wish I could write in French so you'll have an easier time reading my stories but that's not a language I feel confident writing Dx. Hopefully one day! **_

_I'm so sorry for the delay and length of this chapter. I struggled with this chapter for some reason but hopefully, the next one won't cause me any problems and will be longer. Onto the next chapter!_

* * *

Right on cue, many people started to fill the place when it hit eight-thirty. Mostly men in their late twenties who seemed they just got out of work.

Aomine eyes the people coming in cautiously, wondering if anyone would try to disturb Kise and his famous title.

"Aominecchi," the blond said playfully. The brute turned to find Kise with a smirk displayed across his lips. "You've only eaten two and a quarter."

The tan male rolled his eyes and he took another bite, a similar smirk on his face.

"Kise-kun!" a voice shouted in the place. The brute tensed as a young male with red hair, freckles, and a pointy nose came to their table and draped an arm over the model's shoulders. "I didn't know you were coming tonight" the man winked and leaned in a little too close for Aomine's comfort.

"It was a surprise" Kise giggled, not bothered by the other male at all. The redhead smiled before glancing over at Aomine with a raised eyebrow. "Who is this Kise-kun?" he whispered in the blond's ear, making Kise shy away in embarrassment. Aomine clenched his jaw as he eyed the stranger that was interrupting their date.

"J-Jasper-kun. Stop that tickles" the blond pushed the male away playfully as he eyed the brute once more. "Aominecchi. This is Jasper. He works for Trey here at the restaurant" Kise smiled. The officer kept his eyes glued to the smirking redhead, who leaned in to whisper in the model's ear again.

"Jasper! Enough chit-chat! I need help getting orders!" Trey's voice boomed across the room. The redhead sighed heavily and flashed a dashing smile to Kise before eyeing the brute. "Nice to finally meet you, Aominecchi" he smirked again and walked away, leaving a flustered Kise with an annoyed Aomine.

"Who was that?" Aomine heard himself growl. He didn't know why but seeing the redhead being close to Kise made his muscles tense. The blond shyly tucked a strand of loose hair behind his ear before looking up.

"What do you mean? I told you Aominecchi. That was Jasper."

"Yeah, I know. I heard his name. I meant-" the brute paused as he narrowed his eyes to look at Kise directly. "_**Who is he?**_"

The blond swallowed hard as those navy blue eyes stared intensely at him. "Jasper is a friend. He tends to be playful especially around me."

"Why." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. Kise raised an eyebrow at him. "If I knew any better, I'd say you're jealous Aominecchi" a hint of shine flashed into the blond's eyes. Aomine stiffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not jealous. Just cautious about any guy around you since Haizaki" Aomine looked away to find Jasper flirting with another guy a few tables away. Kise dropped his shoulders. "Oh. Yeah."

"I just don't get why you're not worried about him coming back. You should let me help you. I'll protect you from him" he told the blond again. Kise smiled sadly as he eyed the half-finished plate.

"I'm not a little kid Aominecchi. I can take care of myself. Besides, you can't with me **all** the time" he said softly. Aomine grunted and kept eating his food in silence. When Kise finished with his food, he got up from the table and went to the restroom.

"So this is the Aominecchi Kise-kun keeps telling me about" Jasper's voice jolted the brute from his seat.

"First of all, don't call me that. It's Aomine" he growled. Jasper quietly laughed and took Kise's place in front of the brooding man. "Okay, Aomine. Whatever you say" the smirking man turned serious.

"I know Kise cares about you greatly so all I'm saying is don't fuck it up" he crossed his arms over his chest. "To be honest, I think he deserves way better but he won't listen to me" he continued on, making Aomine raise an eyebrow.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Aren't you and Kise-kun dating?"

The brute blinked a couple of times before clearing his throat. "No. We're not."

Jasper let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Oh thank heavens. Then forget everything that I've said" he waved off and started to walk away. Aomine flared his nostrils and gripped one of his wrists.

"Woah. Hold the fuck up. What do you mean by that?" he asked him. Jasper sighed again and turned to face the man. "Kise-kun has told me about lots about you. How you have a short temper, how you only focus on your job or basketball, how you want to stick your dick into practically anything that moves" he rolled his eyes.

The brute opened his mouth to protest but Jasper continued on. "Kise-kun needs someone that could protect him, someone that could hold him when he's having a bad day, someone… someone that isn't _you_." The redhead paused to see a mix of emotions flash through navy blue eyes.

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough to see that you aren't what Kise needs."

"How do you know? I can protect him. I can be there for him when he needs me."

"Yeah. Protect him from Haizaki like that last time?"

Aomine visibly flinched and let go of the male's wrist. Jasper sighed heavily and leaned against the table. "I don't know why you're so worked up over this. You said it yourself. You guys aren't dating" he shrugged his shoulders and slowly walked away. The brute set his forehead down onto the table, feeling sick to his stomach. No matter how much he hates to admit it, the redhead was right.

Kise deserves someone better.

He shook his head and ordered more beers. He really doesn't know why he was thinking about this so much. Kise and he aren't dating and it's not like either of them have feelings for each other.

"It was probably because a nobody just insulted me" he muttered under his breath. Satisfied with that thought, he chugged the six beers he ordered before he saw a flash of blond coming back to the table.

Kise sat back down across from Aomine with a frown. "Aominecchi? Don't you have work tomorrow? You shouldn't be drinking so much."

The brute grunted and finished off the last of his drink. He slammed the bottle down and threw a few bills on the table. "I'm going home" he muttered and got up from the table. The blond's eyes widen.

"Wait!" Aomine heard the male call out after him but he continued out of the restaurant. Kise rushed out and caught up with him. "Wait Aominecchi just wait!" he spun the other male around so they faced each other. "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" he asked somewhat out of breath.

The tan male swayed a little. "Why in the hell did you date that bastard" he snarled. He knew that he was tipsy and light-headed so he wasn't thinking straight. His emotions would flow out of him soon enough but at this moment, he didn't care.

Hurt flashed through Kise's eyes before it turned to anger. "I already told you Aominecchi. Don't try to change the subject."

"Tell me the real reason!"

"I did!"

"You're a fucking liar. There's no way you would've fallen in love with him."

"And why the hell not? I thought he was a good guy!"

"Why are you defending him?!" Aomine slammed a fist against the building next to them. Kise flinched and covered his head in order to protect himself. The brute widen his eyes and dropped his arm.

"...I have to go" the brute said quickly and walked away, refusing to see the shaking man that was standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

When he turned the corner, he took a glance behind him only to find Jasper comforting the model in his arms. For whatever reason, Aomine's heart dropped into his stomach and forced himself to walk away from them. A light drizzle began to fall from the sky as he continued on home. Tears stung his eyes as he tried to force them back. It was no use. He felt so guilty and hurt all at the same time.

The way Kise instantly tried to protect himself from Aomine's fist, even though it wasn't directed at him, broke the brute's heart. He didn't mean to lose his temper. He just couldn't stand the fact that Kise doesn't want help from him. Not to mention the stupid redhead made him think of things that he wasn't supposed to.

Things such as how would Kise and himself be in a relationship together. How well they would get along and even how often they would fight. How he would try to crack jokes or whisper dirty things to the blond just to see his reactions. All of this made the brute wonder about Kise differently.

He hates it.

He doesn't want to think about Kise in that way. It's bad enough that he's in love with Kagami who is now married to a woman and practically is straight. He doesn't want to picture another friend like that.

He sighed heavily as he looked up at his apartment complex, the rain pouring down harder than before. He walked up the stairs as quietly as he could but the squishy noise of his shoes echoed through the stairwell. When he reached his floor, he grabbed his keys and opened the door to his cold apartment. Shivering, he rushed to his bathroom to turn on the water for the shower. As he stood there with steam going up in his face, flashes of Jasper and Kise being together haunted his brain. He stayed there until the water turned cold, hoping that the hot water numbed his senses.

He stepped out of the bath to find himself looking in the mirror.

He didn't look any different than a few hours ago, but the redness surrounding his eyes was faintly there. The brute didn't remember crying on the way home, but the proof was there. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath before exiting the bathroom to find clothes. He slipped on a pair of sweats and a white T-shirt. Aomine sat on the edge of the bed debating if he should go back to his old ways, just this once.

His thumb hovered over the phone number and before he could think about it anymore, pressed the call button. Raising the phone to his ear, he waited for two rings before an answer was made.

"Aomine-kun! I'm so happy you called! I was wondering if you've forgotten about me" a woman spoke in a very high pitched voice. The brute rolled his eyes. "How fast can you get here," he asked coldly. She hummed in the phone for a second before replying.

"In ten minutes!"

"Hurry."

The woman sighed happily before hanging up the phone. He dropped his hand from his cheek and looked out the window. If Kise thought that he was the type of guy that would fuck anything that moved, so be it.


	9. Choose Wisely

_**HoorayID: Oh trust me. There will be more angst. I got the entire story planned out now. I should've been studying instead-but *insert shrugging shoulders* this is much more entertaining. The next chapter after this though... SUPER FLUFFY! Stay tuned!**_

_Yeah. I have no words except I apologize for the late delay again and I don't think I'll have a set posting date anymore. More info after the chapter. _

* * *

After having sex with the woman for hours, he laid there wide awake looking up at the ceiling, her soft snores echoed throughout his room. Normally he would've kicked her out once they were done, but it was still pouring outside and he wasn't **that** big of a monster.

He sighed heavily and turned away from her warm body to face his clock that was on the nightstand. In a few minutes, he'll have to get up and go to work, something that he never thought he would dread. Slamming on the clock before it rang its annoying sound, Aomine slipped out of bed and went to his closet to grab his uniform.

"Aomine-kun?" he came back out to find her awake. He went to the bathroom, ignoring her. Taking a shower to remove the stench, he put on his uniform and dried his hair before stepping back into the bedroom.

"I'm going to work. Lock the door when you leave" he said coldly. The woman pouted and got out of bed, letting the brute see her naked body once again.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay? We can go every single night if you want" she purred and walked closer to the male. Aomine shook his head.

"I'll call you" he turned his back away from her and left the apartment.

_**AominexKise-AominexKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise-AomineXKise**_

The police officer sat at his desk scribbling down on a piece of paper when his partner set a plate of food in front of him. "Aomine. You need to take a break and eat something" Wakamatsu furrowed his eyebrows. The brute grunted and continued on with his paperwork. The blond shook his head and went to sit down at his own desk, right in front of Aomine.

"What's going on with you today? You're being extremely quiet."

Aomine looked up with a frown. "I didn't sleep well that's all."

Wakamatsu crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh-huh. Kise made you sleep on the couch or something?" he joked. The brute nearly wrote the model's name on his paper upon hearing it. He dropped his pen on his desk and looked up at his partner.

"What do you mean by that? I'm not living with him by the way."

"Ahhh. Too soon in the relationship?"

Aomine scowled. "Why does everyone think we're together?! We aren't!" he boomed in the station, making every officer turn to face him. Wakamatsu gave an apologetic look to them before eyeing the brute.

"You didn't have to be so loud about it."

"I hate repeating myself" he muttered and stood up from his workplace. "I'm going to the shooting range. You coming?" he turned his back to the blond.

"You really should eat something."

"Not hungry."

Aomine grabbed the first pistol he saw and started to fix his area, Wakamatsu right next to him. Putting on the earmuffs, he closed his eyes and took a deep long breath before aiming at the poster in front of him. He fired three shots into the chest, imaging it was the braided hair bastard. Then, he shot two into the stomach thinking it was the redhead standing in front of him. Finally, he shot one directly in the forehead between the eyes, picturing a tall blue-haired male with navy blue eyes and a fair tan staring right back him.

"Aomine. Seriously. What's going on? You're worrying me" Wakamatsu came to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. The brute set the gun back down and took off his earmuffs, letting out a broken sigh.

"I fucked up Wakamatsu. I fucked up real bad" his voice was hoarse. "What did you do?" the blond took his own earmuffs off. Before the broken man could respond, another officer came into the room looking starstruck.

"Kise Ryouta is here" his eyes were shaped like hearts. Aomine's stomach dropped. "The model?" he whispered. The officer nodded and practically ran to the next room. The tan male frowned deeply as he slowly walked towards the front part of the station.

Sure enough, he spotted the familiar blond smiling and signing papers that his fellow coworkers were handing to him.

"Kise-kun! Please make it out to my wife!"

"It's so crazy! Why is he here?"

"I hope he's okay and not making a report."

Voices echoed throughout the place, making Aomine want to crawl back into the range where it was much quieter. Golden eyes met navy for a second before Kise smiled at the male he was talking to and made his way over to the tan man.

"Aominecchi."

"Kise. What are you doing here?" he couldn't help but ask, trying to hide his broken voice. The blond gave a soft smile and reached into his jacket.

"I'm going to be in a runaway a few days from now. It would be nice if… you came to protect me" he handed the flyer to the gaping officer. Kise blushed as Aomine continued staring at the paper.

"Aominecchi… people are watching" he glanced back towards the people in the station, watching with curiosity. The brute scowled at everyone. "Get back to work before the chief comes walking in."

Instantly every officer went back to their stations while the civilians sat down in empty chairs, still glancing at the model every now and then.

"Come on. Let's go somewhere more private." The brute grabbed Kise's wrist and pulled him towards the nearest conference room. When Aomine shut the door and turned around, Kise's face was flushed.

"Y-You didn't have to do that."

"They were bugging me" the brute shrugged his shoulders. They stood in the room awkwardly before the tan man cleared his throat. "Kise. Is he threatening you again?" he tried to keep his voice calm. The blond shook his head.

"No. I haven't heard from him since that night" the shorter male turned to face the window and rubbed his arm for comfort. Without thinking, Aomine stepped closer and placed his hand on Kise's cheek.

"It looks almost healed. You didn't put makeup on today?" he asked. The flushed man shook his head again.

"No. I don't want makeup to stay on my face if it gets scarred."

"It looks really nice. You didn't wear makeup last night either right?" both of them froze to the mention of last night. Instantly, Aomine dropped his hand and backed away. Both of them dropped their gaze to the floor.

Neither of them spoke for minutes, each of them going through their own thoughts by themselves. When Aomine thought he couldn't take it anymore, Kise spoke.

"No."

The brute looked up to see Kise slowly walking back towards him. "No. I wasn't wearing makeup last night either."

"Kise… I-" he was cut off by the model's hand on his chest. Kise looked up at the male and smiled. "It's okay Aominecchi. I knew you didn't mean it. You were just angry."

Hearing the forgiving tone that Kise was making, Aomine couldn't help but feel more guilty. This was the second time that he would have failed Kise. When he decided to become a police officer, he vowed to protect everyone he cared for and not let them get into any harm's way.

Now, he has failed twice.

Seeing the face that Aomine was making, Kise moved his hand from his chest to his face. "Aominecchi. Please don't make that face. Please don't blame yourself."

"It's my fault though" Aomine broke away from the contact for a second time. He turned his back to the blond and sighed heavily. "I'm the reason you might have a scar. I'm the reason he came after you. I'm...I'm the reason you cried last night."

Kise shook his head and hugged the taller male's waist from behind. "You're not the person who put the scar on me. You're not the person that triggered Haizaki. I might have cried last night because of our fight, but you're not the reason why I cried myself to sleep."

Hearing those words coming out from his mouth, Aomine widened his eyes and spun around. "Kise…" he whispered. Navy eyes met golden and the world around them went into a blur. Aomine's gaze slowly looked over Kise's features. Neither of them noticed that they were slowly getting their faces closer and closer. When they were a few inches apart, one thought came through Aomine's mind.

_Kise is mine._

Before he could react to that, someone knocked on the door before opening it.

"Aomine. Your friend is here to see you" Wakamatsu's face was trying to hide a smirk. Aomine rolled his eyes.

"I'll be out in a minute."

The blond officer shrugged his shoulders before closing the door. Aomine glanced the flushed man once again and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'll go to the runaway thing" he casually looked out the window.

Kise smiled brightly.

"Thank you Aominecchi. It starts at seven."

Seeing the spark and shine in Kise's eyes, the brute couldn't help but smile back. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The blond practically jumped for joy before looking at his watch. "Oh crap! My manager is going to kill me."

"Why?"

"I'm five minutes over my lunch break."

Aomine furrowed his eyebrows. "I hope you ate something beforehand." The blond nervously laughed before shaking his head. "I might've forgotten."

The brute rolled his eyes.

"Come on. I'll take you so he won't get that mad. I'll just tell whoever that I'll talk to them later" Aomine began walking out the door, Kise following right behind.

The station grew quiet as the two males started making their way towards the front doors, eyeing them and whispering underneath their breaths.

"Oi! Aomine!" The brute heard an all too familiar voice. He stopped in his tracks as Kagami came up to him with a smile, still in his firefighter uniform. "I was wondering if you were busy?" he asked as he glanced at the model.

Before Aomine could say anything, Kise stepped up. "No. He's not busy. Good to see you Kagamicchi!" Kise smiles brightly once again. I'm so glad Kagami smiles back and scratched his head. "Yeah. Sorry that I had to leave last night so early. Ever since we got back from our honeymoon, Narumi has been feeling super sick" he sighed.

"Oh no! Well, I hope that she gets better soon."

"Thanks, Kise."

The model nodded and looked at his watch again. "Sorry guys but I better get going. My manager is going to kill me."

Finally, Aomine spoke up. "I know. I thought I was-"

"Yes. You were going to walk me out the door and get me a taxi. It's fine Aominecchi! I really gotta get going though so I'll see you!" he waved bye to the both of them and disappear behind the front doors.

No one spoke for a mere second before Kagami raised an eyebrow. "I hope he gets there safely. Ready to go?" the redhead smiled and started to walk out the front door.

Aomine froze in his place. He didn't know what to do. On one side, he felt that he should leave as quickly as possible to make sure that Kise made it safely.

On the other, he hasn't spent time with his best friend since before the engagement. It would just be him and Kagami. Alone. No disturbances. Something that hasn't happened in years.

"Aomine? You coming?"

"Yeah. I'm coming."

He followed the redhead out the door, hoping that he made the right choice and praying that Kise gets there safely. On the way to Maji Burger, Kagami continued on telling about his honeymoon, how Narumi was accepted into the family fairly quickly, how they went sightseeing in his hometown, how they had a romantic walk on the beach, how she tried American food for the first time.

Aomine was sick of it.

By the time they reached the restaurant, he was no longer hungry. Hearing the things that his best friend did with his wife almost made him vomit. The way Kagami sounded so happy and cheerful snapped him back into the dreadful reality: his best friend is straight and is **happily** married.

"How many do you want Aomine? My treat."

The brute shrugged his shoulders. "Eight."

Kagami snorted. "Yeah right. I'll order ten for you. Go grab a seat while I get the food" he pushed his friend over to a booth. Aomine walked slowly and sat down, still feeling a tingly sensation to where his best friend touched him. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and shot a text message to Kise before Kagami sat down in front of him.

"They said it will be ready in a few."

Aomine grunted.

The redhead leaned back into his seat and sighed heavily. "Okay. I gotta ask. Is there anything going on between you and Kise?"

The brute jumped in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've been spending more time with him since the wedding. He even came over to your work which you and I both know you hate to be interrupted. What's going on with you two?" he shifted in his seat a bit before leaning over.

"Are you guys dating?" he asked hesitatingly. Aomine shook his head quickly while trying to calm his beating heart.

"No!" he nearly yelled. Kagami raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

"Look, if you guys are, I don't mind. I grew up in LA remember? I'm used to seeing guys being together all the time."

Aomine's face went red. "Kagami no. We aren't dating. We just…" he paused for a minute. "We just connected after the wedding is all. He's not as annoying as I thought he was going to be" Aomine smiled at the thought of the blond.

Kagami smiled. "I told you he was cool but you didn't wanna listen." The brute rolled his eyes. Before he could respond, the waitress set down two full trays of burgers and bowed before walking away. The two males licked their lips before diving in and grabbing as many burgers as they could fit in their hands. When they only had two left, Kagami sighed heavily.

"You can have the rest. I better get back to work."

"You sure you're going to make it?"

The redhead shrugged and got up from the booth. "Probably not but I know the guys want to hang a little bit before we get called out in an emergency" he started to walk away. Aomine nodded and stuffed the two extras in his pocket.

"I'll see you around then."

Kagami smiled and waved goodbye as he walked back towards his station. Aomine sighed happily and jogged back to work. When he got to his desk, he pulled out his phone to see one unread text message.

_**I got to work safely! Though, Kaito really was mad ._. Guess I got some making up to do!**_

The brute smiled and replied back before getting back to work.

* * *

_I won't be having set dates anymore because of school. I have tests every other day and it's only when I don't work that I can write. I do have a plan for this story so don't be afraid of me dropping it. I'm dedicated to finish this. Trust me. You guys are going to want to stay for the end. Hit that follow button to get emails of when I post the next chapter, if you like. _

_Not forcing you._

_Just thought it might be easier. ️_


	10. Always

_Finally! An update! It's a miracle! I hope it's enough fluffy for you! Enjoy!_

* * *

It's been a few days after that incident with the blond at the station. Aomine has tried to let that memory go but with no luck.

He adjusted his tie for the third time before taking it off completely and throwing it on the ground. "What the fuck am I doing?" the brute ran a hand through his hair. Aomine has been standing in front of the mirror for twenty minutes, debating what he should wear for Kise's runway show.

"Fuck it. I don't have time for this" he slammed the door shut and quickly went to the kitchen table. His wallet, keys, and gun were sitting safely on it. He grabbed each one and tugged into a jacket pocket before heading out the door.

Checking the address once again, he sped down the stairs, not realizing that the place that he needed to go was all the way across town. He started up the car and drove quickly. Passing in between lanes and going a little over the speed limit, he finally arrived at the location.

This place was quite larger than the first. The entrance was more inviting and twice as packed as the first one. There were cameramen everywhere and asking famous people for autographs and interviews.

Feeling nervous around a huge crowd, he spotted a certain blond waving at him to come over. Smiling, he jogged over before Kise reached the paparazzi.

"Well, this is certainly different."

The blond laughed. "Just wait until we get inside." He paused to look at his watch. "Which we probably should. Kaito is waiting for us and I didn't want you to get lost in this crowd."

Aomine smirked and gently pushed Kise towards the entrance by the waist. "You worried about me, Kise?"

"Of course! I've seen how _"well"_ you've taken care of yourself" the blond joked, making both males chuckle. As soon as the crowd spotted Kise, they turned their attention to him and shouted questions.

"Kise-sama! Is it true that you and Haizaki used to go out?"

"Kise-sama over here! Can I get a picture with you and your new date?"

"Any words about this runway and what the designer influence was? Rumor has it that you were a reason!"

Aomine gritted his teeth and he brought the smaller male closer to him and pushed past the crowd, getting to the entrance safely. Once they were inside, Kaito waved them over and shoved Kise into a dressing room.

"Aomine! Good to see you again."

The brute smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. Before he could say anything, Kaito held up his hand. "You don't have to say anything. I know you did your best protecting Kise" he grinned before turning his attention to his phone. Aomine sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest.

Two women walked by and giggled when they spotted Aomine. The brute raised an eyebrow and was about to ask Kaito what was that about before Kise stepped out of the dressing room.

"Finally! Let's go! They want to go over the order once again" Kaito started to walk towards the group of models huddled around a guy with a clipboard. Kise followed behind him, unaware of the taller male staring longing at him. While they were talking to each other about the show that was about to start in a few, Aomine couldn't stop staring.

Kise was wearing a simple black tuxedo with his hair gelled back and wearing an expensive watch. He was so focused on the blond that he didn't realize the women in wedding dresses surrounding his friend, taking pictures and getting close to him.

"Alright! Here we go!" the guy with the clipboard announced. The entire backstage clapped and waited until the announcer started the program. As soon as they heard the claps from the audience, they began to move. The man with the clipboard began shouting at people to move and get into places and pushing out the first models to walk the runway.

"Aomine? You alright there?" Kaito walked up to the still gawking male. The brute cleared his throat before answering. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just uh… what's up with the wedding dresses?" he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Kise didn't tell you? The show tonight is to let the public see Louis Couture's new line of wedding fashion" he kept texting away at his phone. Aomine became aware of his surroundings and was surprised at how much he missed because he was looking at Kise.

Every model was wearing different shades of colors tuxedos and dresses. Some had their big white wedding dresses while others had on colorful short dresses. The thing that Aomine focused on was the other males wearing tuxedos. They weren't as neat as Kise's was but then again one of them was wearing a plaid jacket.

The brute chuckled at the sight before focusing on Kaito once again. "I know Kise invited me to protect him, but what exactly am I protecting him from?"

"He didn't tell you?"

The tan male shook his head.

"After the deal with Haizaki, the paparazzi haven't left him alone. Always cornering him and asking really personal questions and you know how Kise always wants to please the public."

Aomine nodded.

Kaito sighed as he set down his phone. "It was my idea to bring you back honestly. He thought it was because so you could keep the press away, which is true. But I also have another reason" he rubbed the back of his neck. Aomine raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Which is?"

"I don't know what's going on between you two but whenever you're around, he just seems… happier." Aomine was speechless. "Like he's already happy and stuff but like when you're around, I can feel him settle with ease and he's more relaxed at work too. Even his coworkers have noticed."

The brute nodded his head in understanding as he remembered the two girls walking by and giggling. "All I'm saying is, you should come by more often. You never know what could happen" Kaito shrugged his shoulders as he tried to hide a smirk. Aomine didn't notice, letting his own thoughts go through his head. He hasn't realized anything different about the model when they're together. He still seems to be the same excited Kise as he's always been.

Except when his eyes seem to shine brightly in the sunlight. Or when he talks about his passion for basketball. Or when he talked about weddings there was still hope in him even though he said it wasn't going to happen.

Aomine facepalmed his face as he felt his cheeks turn red.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Bursting through the curtains, Kise was pushed along with three other male models into the dressing rooms along the side.

"Hurry! Let's go! Where are my bridesmaids?" the guy with the clipboard yelled. Aomine rubbed his temples as he leaned towards Kaito.

"I don't remember it being this loud last time."

"It wasn't. This is the biggest launch Couture is going to do this year. Of course, it's going to be a big deal. There's a lot of famous people in the crowds tonight" he nodded his head towards the curtain. That moment, Kise and the three other males walked out wearing a different tux and were once again pushed out of the curtain.

"He's busier tonight too huh?"

Kaito nodded. "Louis really wanted him for tonight's show. Says that he will be in the final along with someone else" the brunette smiled. Aomine smiled at the thought. Honestly, he never pictured Kise's job as being a hard one. He wasn't doing any fitness training or getting shot at, he was just standing and looking pretty.

Now, after being behind the stage, he can say that what he thought was **not** the case. People running around, shouting and breathing in the hairspray air took a lot of work. Even Aomine had to cough and cover his mouth a few times as they put on hairspray while walking passed.

Kise stepped out of from the curtain once again and before they were able to push him away, he ran straight to Aomine with a smile.

"Aominecchi! Are you doing anything after this?"

The brute shook his head. "Nope. Why?"

"Just stay after. Trust me. You're going to love it" he winked and ran into the previous room to change. Aomine raised an eyebrow while Kaito gave him a smirk.

"Wow. You should be honored."

"Huh?"

"Usually after shows, he signed a few things, go say hi at the after-party and then go home. If he wants to hang out, that means a lot."

The brute's heart jumped at the thought.

_It's always an honor to be with Kise._

At that moment, Kise opened the door and everyone around gasped. He was wearing a navy blue tuxedo with a gold bowtie. His hair was waved back and a little to the left side, almost covering his left eye. He had a watch on his right wrist, his earring was gone and had shiny black shoes that were on his feet.

Kise adjusted his bowtie and slowly walked towards the curtain. Aomine couldn't keep his eyes off of him. Everything about the blond screamed sexy and he wanted it all.

When he got to the curtain, a woman came wearing a white wedding dress and stood right next to him. They chatted for a minute before Kise grabbed her hand kissed the top of it. The woman blushed furiously.

The announcer said a few words before Kise placed a hand on the woman's waist and walked out with the audience screaming and clapping with joy.

"If I didn't know Kise was gay, I would've thought he was on his way to his own wedding" Kaito commented before typing away on his phone. Aomine swallowed hard. Now since that thought came to his head, he was fearful about what might happen tonight.

Especially if Kise decides to keep the clothes on.

The people backstage erupted into cheers and claps as Kise and the woman came back from the front. They started talking to the crowd, both in their own conversations with others. Though, when Kise met the eyes of a certain brute, he finished his conversation and made his way over.

Aomine held his breath. The way Kise walked over to him, so stunning and slowly, made him think that he was doing this on purpose.

_Damn you, Kise._

"Aominecchi! How did you like the show?" he asked so calmly. The brute tried to calm his beating heart as he looked away.

"The plaid one was god awful."

Kise burst out laughing, making the brute try to hide a smile. "That is true Aominecchi. Let me change back and then we can go okay?" he winked before heading to the dressing room that he's been using. The brute crossed his arms over his chest as he looked over to the smiling manager.

"What?"

"Oh nothing" Kaijo shrugged as he shut off his phone. "Though I actually have to head somewhere so can you take Kise home afterward again? Thanks" Kaito hid his smirk and walked away from the brute before he could comment.

Aomine sighed. Turning his attention back to the crowd, he waited patiently as Kise left the dressing room and greeted everyone that stopped him. By the time the blond reached the brute, his stomach was practically growling.

"Kaito left me in charge with you."

Kise smiled. "That's fine."

"Where are we going Blondie?" Aomine started to walk back to the car.

"It's a surprise."

"You do realize I'm not letting you drive my car right?"

"Aominecchi!" Kise pouted while Aomine chuckled. Reaching the car, they got in and Kise started to guide the brute, still not telling him where they were going. It was only when they reached a familiar school front that Aomine realized where they were.

"Why are we at Teiko, Kise?" he asked. Kise didn't reply. Instead, he quickly got out of the car and started walking to the gymnasium. Aomine followed him quietly.

When they stepped in the gym, Aomine realized that the lights were on and a bucket of basketballs was off to the side. The brute turned to look at the blond.

"I asked the janitor for a favor" Kise explained as he took off his tie.

"What? You want to play?" Aomine walked towards the balls. Kise nodded and got into a playing stand. "I know that you've only played Kagamicchi a few times and I bet you're dying to play again. So, let's play like old times Aominecchi" he said softly.

Aomine couldn't speak. It was like Kise just read him easily like a manga book he was so invested in. He didn't second guess it any longer. Even wearing nice shoes, he grabbed a ball from the bucket and started to dribble it.

"Let's see what you got Blondie."

Kise smirked, sending a burning flame through his eyes. "Bring it on Aominecchi."

The game began and Aomine couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun, even playing with Kagami. He'll admit, Kise has gotten much better since high school but still not enough to beat the brute. Still, he loved the fiery passion that radiated through the blond. He makes a great opponent for that.

When they became tied, Aomine smirked. "Last one. Loser buys the other dinner." Kise grinned, out of breath.

"You're on."

Aomine chuckled before he started to dribble the ball once again and made his move. He doesn't remember what happened next. He tried to run and confuse the blond by surprising him with a layup, but Kise saw through that. They bumped into each other hard enough that they both fell onto the floor, Aomine landing on top of the model. They grunted in pain as they tried to stand up once again.

The brute had no idea what went through his head, but when he moved and made eye contact with the blond, he stopped. Just like back at the station, everything around them seemed to stop. It was just him and Kise, nothing else mattered. His job, his cases, Kagami, nothing was in his mind except for the fact that this blond underneath him was beautiful.

His hair was so golden with the gym lights that Aomine thought he was kissed by the sun himself. His pale skin was differently contrasted to his tan one, making Kise even brighter.

His eyes.

_His eyes._

Aomine couldn't believe how he's never noticed the color of the blond's eyes. It was like a honey color with a dash of chocolate surrounding the iris. It was perfect.

_He was perfect._

Kise's face went completely red and wandered his eyes away from the gaping brute. Instinctively, the blond bit on his bottom lip, driving Aomine insane. Their faces began getting closer and closer. The more minutes drew by, the more Amine kept wondering how delicious Kise would taste.

Both males froze when they heard the tan male's stomach growl loudly, echoing through the gymnasium. Kise laughed heartily while Aomine cursed under his breath.

"I haven't eaten anything since lunchtime," he said sheepishly. Kise gasped. "Aominecchi! Why didn't you tell me sooner? We gotta feed you!" he pouted, tempting the bigger male once again. Kise tried to shift from underneath the brute but it was no use.

"A-Aominecchi. You're still on me" he said softly. Aomine blinked a couple of times before lifting his body from the model and dusted himself.

"Where are we gonna eat?" Aomine asked as normally as he could. Kise dusted himself off before he walked towards the basket and set their ball in it.

"Wherever you want."

"I could use a bomb ass burger right now."

Kise laughed again and shook his head. "Oh, Aominecchi. You haven't changed one bit" he started to walk out of the place. The brute grunted and looked away, a hint of pink plastered on his cheeks.

_You have no idea how much you've changed me Ryouta._

"I'm a simple man with simple needs" he jogged to Kise's side and shrugged his shoulders. Kise smiled and hopped inside the car. "I know. Just basketball and food is what makes you happy."

_And you._

"And big bust girls too" Aomine ignored the thoughts in his head that were about the blond. Kise's smile faltered a bit before he laughed again.

"Let's go Aominecchi. My treat."

The brute smirked and started up the car. Taking one last look at their old middle school, he put the gear in drive and left the place to go get food. The drive was quick as Aomine remembered how to get to the restaurant that Kise took him a while ago. The blond jumped in his seat excitedly as he practically ran to the front door.

"Heya Kise!" Trey's voice boomed through the busy place. Kise happily waves as Aomine came in through the door as well. The owner winked at both of them as a waiter comes and seats the two males to the booth they previously sat. After placing their orders and asking if Jasper was here (thank god he wasn't or else Aomine was going to lose his mind), they settled down into a peaceful silence.

For three seconds.

"So Aominecchi! Tell me really. How did you like the show?" the blond's eyes sparkled. The brute sighed heavily.

"It was good. The plaid suit was awful though." He pauses for a second before asking the question that's been bugging him all night. "Though, I don't understand why you invited me to go and protect you if there wasn't really a threat."

Kise's face flushed and let his gaze fall to the table. "I-I um…" the model stuttered. Aomine raised an eyebrow in interest. "I just wanted to spend time with you" his face grew harder by the second.

Aomine almost choked.

"Spend time with me?" he asked without thinking.

Kise nodded. "After the wedding I just… Aominecchi finally saw me as an equal, a friend and I wanted to continue that. I felt like the only way I could do that was to be part of your job" Kise rubbed his arm for comfort.

He couldn't believe his ears.

"Kise. You didn't have to hire me in order to hang out with me" he sighed as he drank from his water glass. The blond blushed even harder. "Look, the next time you wanna hang, just text okay? I don't think I could stand the smell of hairspray any longer" Aomine scrunched up his nose, making the model scream with laughter.

"Okay Aominecchi!" he said brightly, almost blinding the other male. That instant, the food was delivered and devoured within an hour, pausing to talk and laugh with each other.

"Do you work tomorrow?" the brute found himself asking. Kise thought for a moment before sighing.

"Yeah. Kaito booked me to go do a summer photoshoot for a magazine all day" he pouted. Aomine tried to hide his disappointment as he nodded and chugged the last of his water.

"But if you wanted, we could hang out afterward?" Kise smirked. Aomine rolled his eyes but smirked back.

"If that's what you want."

"I'll send you the address to pick me up."

Aomine chuckled lightly and returned to his burger. Kise continued smiling as they finished their food and gave a heavy tip to the polite waiter.

Walking outside, the cold breeze brushed past both of the males, making Kise shiver. Instinctively, Aomine shook his head and took his jacket off before placing it on the model's shoulders.

"You need to start wearing more heavier things, Kise. It's getting really cold."

"Aww but if I do that, then I won't be able to steal your comfy jackets" he winked and tugged the jacket closer to his body. Aomine had a faint pink color on his cheeks as they made their way back to the car. When they were situated in their seats, the brute started up the car and made the trip to Kise's apartment.

"Do you want to come inside?" the blond asked him as he stepped outside once again, clutching the jacket closer. Aomine bit his bottom lip. Before he could reply, Kise smiled sweetly. "I have _Gari Gari Kun_ popsicles upstairs."

Aomine widened his eyes and parked the car instead.

"How did you know-"

"Oh please Aominecchi. You used to eat them all the time in middle school" Kise explained, the brute still in wonder. The two males took the elevator up to Kise's place and reminisced about the last time the entire Teiko hung out and ate popsicles like before.

"Here we go. My place" Kise opened the door. Aomine raised an eyebrow as he stepped inside for the second time.

"It's clean."

Kise laughed. "I'm hardly home," he said as he shut the door. Aomine looked around the place, finding it somewhat different than he remembered last time. Then again, he was carrying the model in his arms and was trying to find the bed as quickly as possible.

The brute gave himself a small slap to the forehead as that sentence sounded so inappropriate. "Here you go Aominecchi" Kise handed him a popsicle and sat down on the cleanest couch the brute as ever seen. Aomine nodded and sat down next to him. The blond decided to watch the replays of the earlier NBA games which Aomine didn't mind. Somewhere through the night, Kise was basically next to the brute and fast asleep, his head was laying on the taller's arm.

Aomine didn't mind it one bit.

Normally, he would shrug off the said person because he wasn't a big fan of affection, but with Kise it's different.

It's always different when he was with him.

The brute smiled at the thought and lowered his body so Kise could relax his head on his shoulder. When he slid his head on, Aomine wrapped an arm around the blond's waist, pulling him closer. Kise sighed happily in his sleep, making Aomine smile even brighter as he tried to turn his attention back to the TV.

Instead, images of Kise flooded his brain. Going to Trey's place for date night and anniversaries. Visiting each other at work and having lunch together. Playing one-on-ones until night time falls. Watching movies with each other while being curled up on the couch together. Proposing in a private place and telling Kise that he was wrong about him never getting married. Both of them at their weddings with the tuxes he saw that show and all of his friends standing there with them, congratulating and Kagami-

_**Kagami.**_

The thought of the redhead made Aomine almost rip the blond from his side. He tried to watch his breathing as reality slapped him in the face.

He's in love with Kagami.

Not Kise.

He _can't _be in love with the blond. He deserves better and someone else has his heart. Not to mention they have this amazing friendship going and he didn't want to ruin it.

If he lost Kise, he'd have no idea what he would do.

Calming down somewhat, Aomine turned his attention to the said blond who was making a painful face in his sleep. Worried, he tried to shake the blond awake only to be startled by a screeching sound.

"Please, not the face Shogo-kun! I can't hide my face!" Kise shook his entire body and shielded his face from the world. The sight broke the brute's heart all over again.

"Kise. It's me" he talked in a soothing voice, trying not to notice how Kise flinched as Aomine put his hands on his arms. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kise. Haizaki is gone. He won't get to you anymore" Aomine grabbed hold the other's hand and pried them away from the blond's face. Tears were pouring out of golden eyes with a shaky lip.

"A-Aominecchi?"

The brute smiled sadly and brought the other into a tight hug. Kise broke down, crying into the other male for hours before his throat became raw. Aomine broke the hug and made Kise sit up as he went to go fetch some water for him. Once the blond calmed down, Aomine set a hand on Kise's cheek and dried the tears.

"Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares?"

Kise's gaze fell onto the cup he was holding. "I-I didn't want to bother you A-Aominecchi. T-This is my problem" he said softly. The brute growled in frustration.

"We're friends Kise. Friends tell each other what's going on" he paused as he cleaned the other side. Kise smiles sadly and brought the bigger male back to him.

"C-Can you stay with me?" Kise whimpered. Aomine quickly cradled the blond into his arms and spoke before thinking.

"_Always_."


	11. Had to Meet the Wife Eventually

**_Hooray ID: I don't know what you mean by a Harry Potter reference *insert smug face here*. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the fluff! Though, from here on out, there will be a whole lot of drama so be prepared!_**

_Again, sorry for the inconstancy of the chapters but school and work is really kicking my health. Please leave a review on how I can improve or what parts you've most enjoyed!_

* * *

Things were never the same after that night. Once the brute left Kise's apartment, neither male has tried contacting the other, even though they planned to hang out after Kise's photo-shoot. Whether it was them being busy or they just needed to back off from each other, Aomine doesn't know.

Instead, the bigger male found himself hanging out with his best friend once again. Kagami made sure that they could play a decent basketball game almost every time they see each other. Everything was starting to fall back into place.

Except there was a constant nagging in the back of Aomine's mind saying there's something wrong. He couldn't figure out what it was.

"Oi! Aomine! That's the third time you've spaced out!" Kagami dropped from the hoop, just finishing a dunk. The brute blinked a couple of times before sighed heavily. "Sorry Kagami. I don't know what's going on" he said.

Kagami frowned and walked over to his friend.

"Why don't we take a break?" the redhead set the ball down. They walked over to the shade part of the court and collapsed on the pavement. "What's on your mind?" Kagami asked as he handed the brute a bottle of water. Aomine took it and chugged it down entire before shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't know."

Kagami frowned again but didn't comment. They stayed sitting there in silence for minutes. The wind blowing a cold breeze, cooling off the two tired basketball players. The sun radiates a warm glowing feeling, a feeling that Aomine hasn't felt in weeks.

"Is it about Kise?" the redhead leaned back onto the fence. The brute raised an eyebrow as he turned to face Kagami.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you and Kise have gotten closer and I haven't seen him for a while so I was just curious" the other male shrugged his shoulders.

Aomine grunted. "No. That's not it."

"But-"

Aomine sighed heavily and stood up, grabbing the ball that rolled near them. "Enough. Let's just play okay?" he started to dribble the ball. Kagami shook his head but listened to what the brute said. The taller male charged forward and without warning, ran past Kagami and slam dunked the ball into the hoop.

In fact, he did know what was wrong after all. He's known it for weeks and yet he can't seem to find the answer.

_Why the fuck did I tell Kise I would stay with him always?_

"Nice dunk dude!" Kagami praised from the court. Aomine grinned as he dropped down to the ground.

"I guess I just needed a break" he shrugged his shoulders. Kagami nodded and grabbed the ball from the floor. "Wanna keep playing some more?" the redhead dribbled the ball. Aomine chuckled and took his defense stand.

"All the time."

The two former aces continued playing on to their heart's content. For the first time in weeks, a certain blond wasn't invading Aomine's mind. It was just him, the court and the man he's madly in love with.

Kagami Taiga.

The name doesn't bring major pain or sorrow to the brute anymore. Slowly, he's starting to accept the fact that his friend is happy with someone else. It's a relief to the male. Finally, he could start seeing his best friend with different eyes; the eyes of a friend. How it first was.

"Aomine?" the voice brought him back to reality. He raised an eyebrow as he saw his friend rubbing the back of his neck, something he does when he's nervous.

"Yeah?"

Kagami tensed a bit as he slowly set his arm back down to his side. "W-Would you like to join me and Narumi for dinner?" he asked softly to the point where Aomine had to lean in to hear him better. The brute crossed his arms over his chest. The day has finally come. He knew that eventually he would have to see the wife and pretend she didn't steal the love of his life.

He just wasn't sure if he was ready today.

"She's making _Sukiyaki_ by the way" he grinned. Aomine grunted and turned to grab his things from the opposite wall. "Yeah. I'll join you guys."

The redhead smiled brightly as he rushed over to his side. When they grabbed their things, they started heading towards Kagami's apartment. Strangely, while they walked, the former Serin player didn't say a word. He kept rubbing the back of his neck and looking anywhere else besides the man that was right next to him.

Aomine didn't like it one bit.

"Oh look we're here!" the redhead sounded a little too high pitch. Before Aomine could make any comment, the other male opened the door and practically pushed the brute inside the small house. "Honey, I'm home!" he yelled with a smile and raced towards the kitchen, confusing Aomine even more. As he took off his shoes, he heard footsteps coming near him. He held his breath.

"Aomine-san!" he saw the blonde coming towards him with a huge smile on her face. He plastered a fake one and stepped inside their home. "Kuchiki-san. It's good to see you."

"Oh please come in! Welcome to our new little home. I hope you're staying for dinner because I made plenty" she smiled brightly, remind the brute of a certain someone. He nodded and followed her towards the kitchen, where the redhead was putting in the final step for the food. "Taiga-kun. Why don't you show Aomine-san around our little place?" she walked over to the male and placed a hand on his shoulder. The redhead twitched a bit before smiling.

"Of course love" he gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked towards the brute. "So this here is the kitchen. It's not much but it's enough,"the redhead smiled brightly before moving around the apartment. Overall, the place just had the basic necessities. A bathroom with a bath and shower and matching rugs. A bedroom with two twins on the opposite sides of the room, which Aomine found strange since he figured Kagami would enjoy the western traditions more in his home.

When the tour finished, they headed towards the dining room to sit down and wait for Narumi to finished with the food.

"So, how do you like it Aomine?"

The brute shrugs his shoulders. "It's cool. Though, don't know why you wanna have two beds instead of one."

Kagami smiled before glancing at his wife. "I didn't want to but I respect her traditions."

The tan male shrugged his shoulders and tuned out the other male, who was spitting something about his perfect wife. "Aww you're so sweet honey" she came from the kitchen and set down two steaming bowls before giving him a kiss.

Aomine almost gagged.

After thanking for the meal, they began to eat. The brute will admit that Kuchiki-san can cook good _Sukiyaki _but it was still annoying gross how invested the couple was to each other.

"So, Aomine-san! Tell me what's new since the wedding? I felt like we haven't talked much since Taiga-kun and I got together" she looked at her husband lovingly. Aomine took a sharp breath but smiled.

_That was because I was avoiding you._

"Nothing much has changed. Got a promotion at work a while ago" he took a drink.

Two eyes widen in amazement. "You got promoted and didn't tell me?" Kagami frowned. Aomine shrugged his shoulders. Meanwhile, Kuchiki clapped with joy and glazed over the brute.

"Congratulations Aomine-san. Remind me again. You're a cop right?"

The brute nodded.

"It must be a tough job. Working late nights, seeing horrible scenes, needing to work out in order to get in shape to catch the bad guys" she grinned at the last part. Aomine blinked a few times while Kagami pouted.

"I need to work out too."

Kuchiki's smile faulted and looked at her husband. "I know baby but Aomine-san needs to work out **both** cardio and strength. I mean, if he doesn't, the streets would be flooded with criminals!" she turned to the confused male once more. "Thank you for your service, Aomine-san. Hopefully you'll move up the ranks to become chief. You deserve it" she whispered the last part, the brute barely hearing it. When Kagami wasn't looking, she threw him a wink and a smudged smile before erasing it from her face.

_W-Was she hitting on me?_

"But tell me something Aomine-san. Do you go home around the same time everyday?

"Narumi…"

"Do you make time for your loved one during lunch time?"

"Narumi."

"DO YOU MAKE ENOUGH MONEY THAT YOU CAN AFFORD A HOUSE?"

"ENOUGH NARUMI! WE TALKED ABOUT THIS!"

"WELL EXCUSE ME THAT WHEN THE BABY COMES, THERE WILL BE NO ROOM FOR IT!"

Aomine dropped his cup onto the floor, shattering the glass. Kuchiki gasped while Kagami sighed heavily.

"B-Baby?" the tan male stuttered. Kuchiki ran towards the bathroom while Kagami kneeled onto the floor, putting up the big pieces of glass. "Aomine. You cut yourself. Run it under warm water while Narumi grabbed the first aid" the redhead said quietly. The brute, still shocked, somehow followed his commands.

When Kagami finished, Kuchiki came back and started to treat Aomine's hand on the table.

"A baby?" Aomine spoke up again. Kagami sighed heavily.

"Yes. Narumi is pregnant" he said before eyeing his wife. "We were going to tell you during dessert but I guess it's out now."

Kuchiki frowned. "I'm sorry Taiga-kun. You know my hormones are all over the place" she let her fingers linger on Aomine's palm a little longer than normal before pulling away.

"How long? When? Where?" Aomine let his mouth run without thinking. The redhead laughed and threw an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure you don't want to know that."

Aomine held back his food. Yeah, he **definitely** didn't want to know. "You right. But how far along?" he asked again. Kagami smiled.

"Only a few weeks. We didn't want to tell anyone yet until we were sure" he started to rub his wife's belly. She giggled and looked up at the brute.

"He does this all the time. Did you want to feel?" she asked, a sparkle in her eyes. Aomine shook his head.

"Congratulations you two. I'm very happy for you" he tried to make his voice not sound strained. It seemed to do the trick since both the husband and wife smiled brightly.

"Thank you Aomine-san" she nudged the redhead. Kagami cleared his throat. "Yes well, now since you know, there's something we want to ask you" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Aomine raised an eyebrow and swallowed to help his dry throat. "Yeah? What is it?" he asked nervously.

Kagami smiled shyly and looked into navy blue eyes. "Will you be the godfather to our baby?"

* * *

_Cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUUUUN! Buckle up kids. We're going for a feels ride. _


	12. Drunken Night

**_Hooray ID: No. Aomine has met the wife before but he just avoided her because he felt like she stole his crush from him you know? And yes. There's a reason why she's acting the way she's acting. I'm so glad you put your helmet on because THIS CHAPTER STARTS THE RIDE! And yeah. Aomine isn't probably the BEST choice for a godfather but hey. They're best friends. _**

_No sadness in this chapter. Just a few...moments I guess I should say. I hope you enjoy!_

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Aomine was still in shock as he drank his third beer. He couldn't believe what happened earlier today. After Kagami asked the fateful question, Aomine ran on autopilot. He remembers saying to the redhead that he'll think about it and the parents started to talk about their plans for the newest member of their family.

It made the brute sick to his stomach.

He doesn't remember the walk back to his place or changing out of his basketball clothes. He does remember feeling the same pain in his chest and went to the first place that could calm it down though.

"Aominecchi?" he heard a voice call out his name. He turned to find the blond he hasn't seen in ages staring at him with worry. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost" the blond took the stool right next to him.

The brute finished his beer and dropped his head.

"Kuchiki-san is pregnant. Kagami is going to be a father."

The blond gasped while the brute chuckled darkly. "And they want me to be the damn kid's godfather."

"Aominecchi…"

The brute turned to face the blond with a dark expression. "Don't. Just don't Kise. I don't need you trying to make sense of this situation. I just…" he took a deep breath before smiling sadly. "I was almost over him. I really was. Now, they threw this fucking curveball at me and now I can only picture Kagami being a great father to the kid. I just want to forget for a while okay?" he chugged the bottle that the bartender dropped in front of him. The blond nodded but didn't reply verbally.

They sat there in each other's company for the longest time. In fact, Aomine was wondering why on Earth Kise was at a common bar at seven at night.

"Shouldn't you be working?" he heard himself say. The blond chuckled lightly and shook his head. "No. Kaito gave me the day off today. Just been wandering around the streets, to be honest."

"Without a disguise?"

"I had one but I became so hot that the wig started to stick to my forehead. I just took it off a few minutes ago actually."

The brute nodded and chugged the rest of the beer down. "At least one of us had a good day."

Kise sighed heavily before standing up and throwing a bill down on the counter.

"Follow me Aominecchi" he gripped the brute's arm and pulled him from the stool. The tan man groaned but let the blond pull him away outside. The sun began to set a beautiful orange color, making the brute force to think if that will be the hair color of Kagami's kid.

The sound of blasting music brought Aomine back to reality. "Kise. Where are we going?" he muttered. The blond gripped his wrist harder and tugged him faster towards the music. The brute looked up the bright sign to find out they were at a club. Not just any club. Probably the most expensive and most exclusive club of all time.

"Kise. We can't go in there."

Kise dropped his wrist and spun around to face him. "I don't like seeing you so depressed Aominecchi. Please. Do this for me. I promise I'll help you forget" he put on his puppy eyes just in case. Aomine rolled his eyes but smiled a bit.

"Only because you asked nicely."

Kise smiled brightly and clasped his hand against the other male and pulled him towards the club. The bouncer at the front nodded in approval and let both of them inside. The music was twenty times louder now, making the males find it difficult to hear each other.

"Let's go to the bar!" Kise yelled and tugged Aomine towards the right. The brute agreed and followed the smaller male where drinks were already being poured.

"Nice to see you again Kise!"

"You too Hide! This is my friend Aominecchi! Just keep them coming!" the blond said to the bartender. Hide winked at the male and handed two shot glasses to both of them before he walked away.

"Drink Aominecchi!" the blond threw the alcohol to the back of his throat. Aomine raised an eyebrow but complied.

"Feeling better yet?" Kise asked over the blaring music. Aomine threw the shot glass down and blinked a few times. "Not yet, but if your friend keeps serving this, I know I will pretty soon."

Kise laughed and asked for more drinks.

The rest of the night was them retelling past memories from middle school and taking shots of whatever the bartender was throwing his way. He didn't care so much just as long as it was strong.

He turned to his left to find Kise swaying but smiling happier than he's ever seen.

"Aominecchi! Let's dance!" the blond slurred and tried to pull the brute closer to the dance floor. Aomine shook his head and sat at the bar. "You go dance. I'll just watch."

The blond flashed a smirk before following what Aomine told him. That's when the brute realized he made a big mistake.

As soon as the blond reached the floor, a few girls screamed in delight, swarmed him, and started to grind on him. He laughed and started to dance with them respectfully. It wasn't until a few minutes later that a large man with black hair and blue eyes came up to Kise. Aomine saw in the distance that they talked for a bit, mostly Kise blushing and the male smirking. Then the taller male grabbed Kise's hips and brought him closer and started dancing with him.

Kise's face made it seem he was surprised but let the male have his way with him. Aomine swallowed a lump in his throat as he stared at the beautiful blond moving all over the large person. The back-haired male made a devilish smirk but continued following Kise's lead.

He licked his lips and whispered something into the blond's ear. Kise blushed before the male started kissing the side of his neck, making it visible to everyone.

Even though Aomine was pretty wasted, he knew that the public display that Kise and the male are doing isn't right. No one knows that Kise is gay and he figured he doesn't want someone tipping the press and for his secret to come out that way.

He needed to stop it and fast.

Getting up from the stool, he sluggishly made it way over to the two dancing males. Luckily for him, that's the only thing that the male decided to do. After the kissing of the neck, the blue-eyed man continued dancing with Kise, keeping his lips on his face.

Aomine stepped in between the two and glared at the taller male. "Back off from him," he said with a growl. The male smirked but shrugged his shoulders.

"He wanted to dance with me, pal."

"Not what it looked like."

"Either way, he was enjoying himself. Isn't that right _Blondie_?" the male put emphasis on the last word. Aomine had no idea what came over him as he found himself bringing Kise close to his body, practically on top of his leg and scowled heavily at the man.

"I'm not going to repeat myself. Back off from him. _He's mine_" he seethed through his teeth. The male rolled his eyes and walked away, giving the middle finger to the couple as he disappeared in the crowd. Once Aomine was calm enough, he turned his attention to the swaying blond.

"Kise, what were you thinking? Letting him grope you like that." The blond looked up at the male with a wide grin.

"I just wanna have fun Aominecchi. Especially with you" he winked before continuing. "Since I'm all yours.." he sighed heavily as he started to dance as if nothing happened. The brute stiffed as the blond roamed his hand on his chest in a sensual way. "I promised you that I will make you forget… dance with me" he whispered in the other's ear. Aomine's head was spinning. He tried to think of a reason why this would be a bad idea but the alcohol clouding his judgment and the delicious smell of strawberries made it hard for him to think.

"Fuck it" he muttered and started to follow Kise's lead. The blond laughed brightly and continued dancing as if they were the only two people there.

Aomine's heart squeezed a bit. He wanted to hear that sound every day. He wanted to feel this good every day. He wanted this beautiful man _every day._

During the song, the blond dragged a finger on the brute chest as he was breathing heavily.

"Now are you feeling better?" he whispered seductively. Aomine, who was now drunk by the other's scent, smirked and leaned closer.

"Just a little."

Kise smirked back and started to roam his hands on the brute's body, making Aomine bite his own bottom lip. Sweat dripped from both bodies and intertwined with each other as the pair grew closer and closer together. Eventually, the blond ran his hands through the dark navy's locks and smiled.

"And now?"

Aomine's eyes gazed over Kise's features again. The blond has the same golden eyes as before except this time lust and happiness circled around the pupils. His locks were still in perfect form, much to Aomine's annoyance. However, the thing that he was focused on the most was the pink parted lips that were breathing heavily towards him.

He didn't know if it was the alcohol running through his veins or the sexual frustration he had at the moment, but he found himself sliding his hand under the blond's head and pushed the shorter male to meet his demanding lips. Kise's eyes instantly closed and grabbed anything he could so he was closer to the male that was kissing him. The hunger, the desire, the want, everything was put into the kiss. The brute didn't realize how badly he wanted this until he savored the sweet taste of the blond.

Too soon the kiss was broken as both males were breathing hard to catch their breaths.

"**Much** better" Aomine licked his lips, sending a shiver down Kise's spine. Without saying anything, the brute wrapped a protective arm around the blond and practically ran outside the club. Once hit by the cold breeze, Aomine snuck behind an alleyway and slammed the other male against the wall before attacking his lips with his own. Kise gasped with delight and returned the same passion.

"I think a few people saw us" Aomine whispered against Kise's lips. The blond sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around the brute's neck.

"Fuck it" and went back to kissing the desperate brute.

Aomine groaned and hoisted up the smaller male so Kise had to wrap his legs around Aomine's body. They made out heavily in the cold weather, touching and tasting each other as if their lives depended on it.

"Aominecchi…" the blond broke the kiss as he tried to catch his breath. The brute panted heavily as he stared at the wanting male. "L-Let's go back to your place. _Please…_" Kise tried to voice his desperation. Aomine caught on immediately and backed away from the wall, letting the blond get back on his wobbly legs.

"Can you walk?" he asked gently. Kise nodded before meeting hungry eyes.

"Good. Because tonight, I'm going to make sure you don't ever again" he gripped his hand and took him towards the street, where he quickly waved down a taxi and told the driver his address. All the while, Kise tried to comprehend what had just happened in the last few minutes. He didn't expect this to happen at all.

Not like he was complaining though.

Suddenly, he felt pressure on the inside of his thighs. He glanced down to find the brute's hand massaging his inner thigh and softly attacking the side of his neck. He had to bite his inner cheek so he wouldn't moan out loud.

"You're so fucking tasty Kise…" Aomine whispered hotly in his ear. Kise whimpered with need as the taxi driver came to a halt. The brute threw some bills at the driver and practically yanked the two of them out of the car and up the stairs.

Reaching his place, Aomine quickly opened the door and pushed the blond inside. Kise took a glance around the room before smiling drunkenly and wrapping his arms around the larger male.

"You kept it clean?"

Aomine smirked and tugged him towards his bedroom. "Of course I did. I'm a detective after all." Once inside, the brute quickly shut the door and attacked Kise's lips with his own. The blond moaned with pleasure and ran his fingers through navy blue locks. Aomine slid his hands underneath Kise's shirt, feeling the shudder that the other male did.

He slowly took off the shirt that was blocking his view of seeing perfect pale skin. Kise smiled drunkenly and whispered into the brute's ear.

"_Touch me. Feel me. Taste me Aominecchi. I'm yours._"

The tan male growled possessively and threw the blond onto his bed. Aomine stripped his own shirt across the room and climbed over the panting blond.

"That's my plan, Kise. You better be ready."

The blond licked his lips before kissing the brute once again. Aomine moaned as he slid his tongue inside Kise's mouth, exploring every inch he can. He can fairly taste the alcohol that they were drinking at the club. They fought for dominance before Aomine broke the kiss.

"Aominecchi?" Kise breathed.

The brute didn't reply but instead stared at the wonderful man underneath him. He couldn't believe this was happening. He knew that it shouldn't but it just felt too good, too right. He couldn't stop now. He has to have him at all costs.

_**xXxXxXxXxXCensored LineXxXxXxXxXx**_

He tried to catch his breath as Kise slowly crawled over to him. The blond laid his head onto the brute's chest. The room was surrounded by silence except for the two males panting, very different than a few moments ago.

"I love you" Kise whispered.

Aomine froze as he felt the blond cuddle against his side.

"I love you so much Aominecchi. I'm so happy you've finally noticed me. I'm so happy…" he heard the other male drift off to sleep. The brute bit his lip as he tried to comprehend what the hell just happened. However, since he was drunk still, any type of thinking just made a stabbing pain inside his brain.

Instead, he grabbed the warm naked body and pulled it close to him. He'll let sober him deal with whatever problems he'll have tomorrow.

* * *

_The uncensored version is posted on Ao3! Just in case you wanted to take a look?_


	13. The Morning After

_I apologize for taking this long to update this story! I had serious writer's block and when I thought writing Regretting would help it out, it didn't. Finally, I asked one of my writer's friends about it and she totally helped me out. So, yeah I literally wrote this right after work all in one sitting. I should be asleep right now since I work but I literally couldn't stop writing._

_Anyways, here's chapter thirteen. There's a lot of feels in this one and upcoming chapters. I think we have about either two or three chapters left in this story so be aware! Please leave a review or a favorite if you're enjoying the story! IF you want to get email updates on when this story continues, push that follow button!_

_Wow... that sounded like the beginning of a Youtube channel *insert facepalm here*_

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He knew he messed up. He realized that when he woke up early in the morning with a killer headache and a certain blond curled up against his chest. The guilt in his chest gutted his insides more with passing minute. He knew what he had done was wrong and wished he could take it back.

The feeling of being one, the cries, the moans, the confession.

It was too much for Aomine. Sliding out from the body on top of him, he made his way to the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. How is he going to explain this to Kise? Would he even remember? Would he be forgiven?

Aomine sighed heavily and stood up slowly, feeling nausea crawling in the back of his throat. He walked slowly to his bathroom and turned on the water. Sliding slowly to the bottom of the shower, Aomine leaned his head against the wall as hot water fell onto his body.

For hours, he stays this way, hoping the spinning of the room would eventually stop. Over and over, the scenes of last night displayed inside his head. The feeling of Kise being with him felt like nothing he's experienced before, as cheesy as that sounded.

He knew it couldn't happen again.

He and Kise were just friends. Nothing more.

Besides, he was still in love with Kagami and there's nothing and no one who could change that.

It's better this way. Kise would eventually find someone who deserves and he…

He…

The sudden change in temperature brought Aomine back into real life. He turned the dial all the way to hot, which didn't do much, and started to scrub his body clean from the activities from a few hours ago.

He stepped out once he finished and wrapped a towel around his waist. He took a few deep breaths before opening the door.

Only to find the blond gone from his bed.

Aomine took a few steps into his room before he heard pot banging from his kitchen. The brute swallowed. Realizing that the upcoming conversation shouldn't be done without clothes, he headed to his closet, grabbing the first shirt and pants he could find.

It was a simple black tank top with his high school basketball shorts.

He felt his hands begin to shake as he reached for the doorknob. He was never this nervous after a one night stand before. All he has to do is say that this can never happen again and that he was in love with someone else. It's normally what he does when his partner stays over and tries to talk him into a relationship. Why is this any different?

It's probably because it's Kise.

Shaking his head, he yanked the door open to find Kise setting up the table with a big smile on his face.

"Good morning Aominecchi!" he said brightly; crushing the brute's heart a bit. Aomine grunted as he made his way over slowly. "I made your favorite. I hope you don't mind scrambled eggs. I was trying to make them over hard but they got mixed in the process" Kise kept blabbering on about every little detail about what happened at breakfast. Aomine nodded every now and then, taking a sip of coffee. When the blond took a seat in front of the tan brute, he went quiet.

Aomine glanced away and took a bite of toast.

"I hope you realize… what I said last night… it's true" the blond said softly.

Aomine held his breath.

"I'm in love with you Aominecchi. I've always been ever since middle school. I just never realized it until a few days before high school ended. By then, I didn't think you saw me as an equal, a friend" he paused to looked down at his hands. "I mean, you weren't really happy to be with me when it was Kagami's wedding" Aomine couldn't help but flinch at the memory.

"As time went by and we hung out more, I began being hopeful that at least you were able to see me differently and then last night happen" his pale cheeks turned pink.

Before the brute could stop himself, he blurted out one heartbreaking sentence.

"Last night was a mistake."

Kise looked up into navy eyes. "Y-You really don't mean that."

Aomine bit his lip. It was true. Last night wasn't supposed to happen. It did though and Aomine could never look at the former small forward the same. He met with golden eyes with the same intensity.

"I'm sorry Kise, but last night was a drunken mistake. It never should've happened" he took a sip of coffee. The blond's face stood in utter shock which shifted into anger within a second.

"Ohhhh. No, I'm sorry Aominecchi! I'm sorry that you're still in love with a redhaired airhead that has absolutely no clue about your true feelings!" Kise stood up from the table, knocking his chair backward. The brute huffed and raised an eyebrow.

"Leave Kagami out of this."

"No! He's the reason why you won't be with me right?" the blond's teeth grind. Aomine bit back his tongue. It would be no point in fighting with his former friend now. "Tell me Ahomine! Tell me why you would still be in love with someone who will never return your feelings while someone who does feel for you is standing right here!" the blond screeched.

The brute stood up as well, getting into the blond's face. "What about you?!" he screamed back. Kise blinked a few times, confusion plastered all over his face. "You claim you've been madly in love with me since middle school right?! Then why the fuck would you get with someone as repulsive as Haizaki!?" the brute knew he needed to calm down, but he couldn't.

All the emotion, all the pain came flooding out like an open gate.

Kise stayed quiet, tears rolling down his cheeks as the brute continued on.

"Yeah! I may be in love with a guy who will never see me the same way but at least I didn't get with that bastard! Out of all the guys, why him?! He was probably the worst choice to pick!"

"I know Aominecchi! I know! You don't need to throw my past in my face!"

"You're doing it right now!"

"The difference between yours and mine is that yours is still here!" Kise clenched his hands into fists. The two males took a deep breath before making eye contact. Aomine couldn't lie to himself. He felt the love, the affection, the want, the desperation from the other male. He so badly wanted to grab the other and kiss him until the blond could feel his feelings.

The feelings of want, of affection, of love.

Yes, he was also madly in love with the blond.

Kise can never find out though. Two times he has failed him. He doesn't deserve to be with him. The blond will thank him one day when he's happily married to a guy that truly makes him happy.

All ever Aomine does is get him into awful situations and cause pain. Honestly, deep down in his heart, he knew he was exactly like the bastard.

"A-Aominecchi… please. Tell me why you don't love me. Tell me why you won't be with me" Kise let go of his fists and hugged himself for comfort. The brute ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, Kise. Just let it go. It can't happen. We can't happen okay?" his voice almost cracked at the last word. The blond's tears kept falling.

"Please. Tell me why. Tell me why Daiki" Kise faintly said the other's name, hoping the other wouldn't catch on.

He did.

"Kise. You can't call me that. We can't be together. Is it that hard to believe?" he took a sharp breath. The blond pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"As a matter of fact, it is. You're not giving me a good reason why we can't be together."

Aomine rubbed the back of his neck. "We can't because of my job. It's too dangerous. I have enemies that would love to hurt the people I care about."

The blond scoffed. "That didn't stop Wakamatsu from finding happiness. He's married with a child. Now, why can't we have that?" he somewhat pleaded. The brute sighed heavily.

"Your job? You haven't come out of the closet. What if the relationship turns out to be the end of your career?"

"Okay. Now, you're just making excuses up Aominecchi" the blond huffed. The brute ran a hand through his hair before looking down at his empty mug. He cursed under his breath and headed towards the kitchen, slowly pouring himself another cup.

"_Daiki…_" Aomine's body filled with goosebumps. He bit his bottom lip as he felt the blond's presence on his back, his hands tracing his abs underneath his shirt. "I know you felt something last night. I know you want to be with me. So, why not?" Kise's voice was soft. Aomine almost melted into the touch and made both their wishes come true.

Instead, he set the mug down and ripped the pale hands from himself.

"You're not Kagami" he closed his eyes as he felt the other's heart shatter.

"W-What?"

"You asked why we can't be together" the brute paused to look dead into Kise's eyes. "We can't because you're not Kagami."

That did it for the blond. He never broke eye contact as tears swelled in his eyes. He didn't wipe them, but instead, let them fall onto his shirt and the floor.

"So it was because of Kagami" he whispered. Aomine broke contact and shrugged his shoulders. "I've been in love with the guy for a long time. It doesn't just go away like that."

Kise quickly wiped his tears and nodded. "Last night then? You felt nothing?" his voice shook. The brute shrugged his shoulders again but didn't reply. The blond nodded and took a few steps back.

"I'm sorry" Kise breathed and headed towards the bedroom. Aomine held his breath as the door closed quietly. His hands shook as he gripped the counter, forcing himself to not move from that position. Too quickly, the blond stepped out of the bedroom with the clothes from last night. He avoided the navy blue's gaze as he headed towards the door.

Aomine didn't breathe until he heard the door shut, his breath sounded more like a gasp.

It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move.

He knew that lying to Kise would be one of the hardest things he's ever had to do in his life, but he didn't expect the pain to be this great.

For minutes, he laid down on the kitchen floor, letting the tears roll down his face, biting his inner cheek so he wouldn't scream at the world. He didn't feel this much pain when the love of his life (at the time) was getting married. It stung like a bitch he'll admit that, but that was nothing compared to how he feels right now.

He lost a dear friend and the person he loves dearly at the same time.

There's nothing that could fix that pain.

Well, except maybe for one thing.

The brute struggled to get up from the floor, trying to reach the highest cabinet to grab one of the bottles of liquor he had stashed away. He figured last time it didn't hurt as bad because he was drowning himself with booze. It wouldn't hurt to try again this time. Especially since he could feel his heart being ripped into two parts.

The first wave of the liquor hit the back of his throat, making him gag for a second. Feeling the familiar burning, he sighed in relief as the pain subsided slightly. When he inhaled half of the bottle, he reached for his phone to call an all too familiar number. She picked up on the first thing and was cut off by the sluggish voice of the brute.

"Shut up and come here. Make it fast" he clicked the phone to end before she could respond. Finishing the bottle, he threw it against the wall, not caring if the glass shattered into pieces. He kind of liked it because it represented his heart at the moment.

Not wanting to think about it, he reached for another hidden stash bottle and waddled towards the front door. Within a few minutes, she arrived and didn't take long for the brute to smash his lips against hers. She smelled like cigarettes and cherry lip balm but the brute didn't care.

All he wanted was to forget the delicious strawberry smell that still lingered in his nostrils.


	14. A Heated Confession

_**Hooray ID: It's going to take Aomine a little longer to fix this problem. Don't worry. He will... eventually! **_

_Thank you all for the wonderful support! I know this story is Rated T but this chapter I'm not sure if I should keep it or change it to M. The only reason is there's a lot of language in this chapter. A LOT of language. Please keep in mind this. I know it says that T is for 13 and older but let's face it. I know six years old who have a worse potty mouth than what I wrote so. Anyways, There's going to be four more chapters for this story so we're almost there! Also, this is probably the longest chapter I've written so I hope you enjoy every single bit! There's a lot a major time skip between the last chapter and this one but I promise that this is the only one! _

_Okay, enough of my rant._

_Chapter Fourteen!_

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Five months. Six days. Three hours. Twenty-seven seconds.

That's how long it's been since Aomine has seen his precious blond. That's how long he's been drinking his sorrows away. That's how long he's been smelling cigarettes every night. No matter what he tried, he couldn't forget about him.

He couldn't forget about Kise.

The brightness of the soft blond hair. The fierce golden eyes. The contagious bubbly laugh. The delicious pleasure screams. The addicting smell of strawberries.

Aomine Daiki was obsessed and it was driving him insane.

Over and over again, that particular night resurfaced in his brain. Once it does, he always finds himself in a random bar being seduced by women left and right. He figured it was the uniform.

Every night, he would take out his frustrations on these women in which they end up slapping him for being so rough and walking out the door without looking back. The brute didn't care. Once he got a taste of the sun, nothing could compare.

Around the second month, the Chief noticed Aomine's decline in the field so he was forced to sit at a desk until he could come back to his senses. Everyone became really worried when the brute agreed to it without any fight. Wakamatsu has tried multiple times to ask him what has happened but Aomine has refused to speak. The blond officer figured it was something to do with Kise since the day the model came out to the media, Aomine sunk even more.

It was a few weeks after that particular day. People saw Kise and another male together and the paparazzi was wondering who he was. The model's manager thought it was a good idea to hold a press conference so all questions could be answered.

That's when Kise came out as gay.

The media was shocked but after they overcame it, the media fully accepted it. In fact, the model is more popular than ever. Wakamatsu could never forget when the entire force started whispering to each other and looking at Aomine. Who could forget the time the model came to the station specifically for him? The brute just blankly stared at the TV, clenching his jaw tightly. The blond officer couldn't forget either when the media asked about the "large tan male" that he was seen with. The blond laughed before rubbing the back of his neck and replied with one sentence.

"No one important. He was just someone that wanted a dance. Nothing more."

The whispers in the station grew louder and his partner left work early that day. He didn't come back for the rest of the week. Once he did, he was worse than before. He constantly smells of alcohol and is much easier to piss off.

Wakamatsu has no idea what to do.

Neither does Kagami.

The redhead started to notice his best friend acting differently literally the next day. He invited him to lunch and when he went to the station to pick him up, the brute was dragging his feet, the dark circles under his eyes weren't being secreted. Kagami asked him what was wrong but was always the same answer, "Just couldn't sleep."

Over the next few weeks, he would stop by to check on the bluehead and every time he would, he would only end up being worse. He became really alarmed when Aomine told him that he was put on desk duty with no fight in him. From that moment on, Kagami vowed that he would hang out with his best friend every week, at least to see if eventually, he would say what has gotten him so bad.

The redhead waited patiently for the next few months, playing one-on-ones and going out almost every night. He figured out his best friend was heading towards the bar after work since the third month and vowed that he wouldn't let that happen anymore.

Little did he know, Aomine has collected many bottles and put them in his kitchen so he didn't always have to go. It saves him walking time as well.

Now, it's been five months, six days, seven hours, and twenty-one seconds.

Only two more hours until his best friend picks him up from work and force him to play ball. The brute really doesn't care anymore. He's just living life by counting the hours until he could hold a bottle in his hand once again.

Aomine blinked a few times before connecting the pen to the paper once again. He started off good until he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. He didn't need to look up who it was.

"Wakamatsu."

"Aomine" the deep voice grumbled. The brute kept writing on the paper, waiting for his partner to continue talking.

"You didn't eat any lunch."

"Not hungry."

"You have to eat something though."

Aomine sighed heavily and gripped the pen tightly.

"Is Kagami coming again today?"

"Yeah."

"Oh okay. You'll eat with him right?"

The brute grunted and returned back to his writing. Wakamatsu sighed and slowly made his way back to his desk, not uttering another word. Aomine focused on the task at hand and the next thing he knew, he finished the one paper. He set it off to the side and grabbed another from the mountain of desk work that still needed to be done. Wakamatsu shook his head as he set another case on top of the pile before walking away.

The hours went by at a snail's pace, almost making the brute fall asleep in the middle of the station. At last, when it was the end of his shift, he finished three more. He saves the rest for tomorrow. As he put on his coat, he heard the familiar redhead talking to his partner in a low whisper. He grunted as he made his way slowly to the front door.

"Alright. Don't worry. I'll feed him after our game. Thanks, Wakamatsu" the redhead waved to the officer before smiling at his best friend. "Are you ready to go?"

The brute shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."

Kagami sighed and headed out the door, hoping his best friend would follow. The walk to the court was quiet as always. The redhead has stopped asking to see what was wrong a while ago. Once Aomine is ready, he will tell him. They're best friends after all.

They got to the court, unusually they were alone, and quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt. They stretched, warmed up with a couple of dribbles before starting their game. At first, it was going good. Aomine was somewhat in the game, noticing when Kagami tries to do a crossover dribble and snatches the ball before he could complete the move.

He doesn't know when things started getting bad.

It was probably when he started seeing blond instead of the obvious red hair in front of him. Or replacing the fierce red eyes in front of him with golden orbs. His heart couldn't take it. It was more painful seeing that than hearing Kagami dunking a ball, making him the winner of this game.

Kagami has finally beaten his best friend.

Aomine didn't care. He just wanted to get out of here, go back home and feel the familiar burn going down his throat.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the venom in the other's voice surprised him. The brute raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? You won" Aomine shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the fence, being careful not to change the other's appearance in his mind. Kagami spun around with fury in his eyes. He marched over to the taller male and gripped his shirt into his fist.

"Aomine Daiki stop fucking bullshitting with me! I didn't win anything! For the past few months, you've been either drunk, depressed, or a straight-up asshole! You don't eat! You don't work! Hell, when's the last time we had a decent game?!" the redhead yelled.

The brute narrowed his eyebrows. "Like every day! You have been forcing me to come to this stupid court with you and play ball! I do eat and I do work! Desk work is still working!"

Kagami scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You've always hated desk work! Why is it okay now?!"

The brute got off the fence and made his best friend stumble back a bit. "Why the hell do you care?" he seethed in between his teeth.

Kagami let go of the shirt and crossed his arms over his chest. "We're best friends you fucking idiot. I'm always gonna care. Now, stop being a little bitch and tell me what's going on with you! I'm sick of waiting!"

"There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Bullshit and you know it!"

"You're fucking bullshit!"

"Is it because of Kise?!"

The brute froze. He hasn't heard the name since his coming out was made public. It was on every TV channel, magazine, and radio station. There was no getting away from it. Hearing that name brought all of the painful memories he's worked so hard to keep out back up again. Fearing he might actually start crying, he bit his bottom lip and looked down at the ground, forcing the emotions back in him.

"No. It's not about that stupid blond."

"Fucking liar."

Aomine huffed and went to grab his things. "Fuck off Bakagami. Leave me the hell alone. I don't need you to watch me like a desperate parent. Just because you're becoming a dad doesn't mean you can play that card on me" he muttered and started to walk off.

"Fucking coward! Just tell me what's going on! We're best friends! We're supposed to tell each other everything!" Kagami roared in desperation.

"Yeah! We are supposed to tell each other everything! Then, why didn't you tell me that you were dating Narumi!? I have to find out from Tetsu! What about the engagement!? When were you going to tell me that?! I didn't know about it until a month before the goddamn wedding!" Aomine's voice boomed across the place.

Kagami left his mouth agape.

"What about this baby? The only reason why you told me about the kid was because you wanted me to be the godfather, which is a horrible decision really because I don't even like your wife in the first place! She stole the love of my life!"

The redhead gasped while Aomine froze again. Now, he's done it.

The brute clenched his teeth and faced the ground once more. He gripped his things and made his way back to his place, hoping that the redhead would leave him alone.

He got his wish.

Aomine arrived home and quickly took the last three bottles from the fridge. Turning the TV on as background noise, he was somewhat pleased to find that it was a sports channel that was playing. He slowly jugged the bottles, trying to make them last, not really paying attention to what's on the screen. When he got up to throw them away, he heard a familiar laugh.

A laugh that has haunted his dreams for months.

He turned around to find Kise staring at him through the TV screen. His hair grew longer, almost to the point where it could be pulled back in a bun. His pale screen had a hint of tan, he had no more earrings, in fact, the only thing that stayed the same was the piercing golden eyes that he loves.

"I'm so happy that your career is really taking off! Especially since you'll be staring in an upcoming movie that will be released at the end of the month" the reporter smiled brightly. Kise laughed again and scooted closer to a male that Aomine didn't notice until now.

"Yes. Kise did an amazing job working with me through the movie. We hope that the fans will be delighted" the male spoke in a deep voice, making the reporter almost swoon with joy. Aomine's heart clenched when he saw a hint of blush across Kise's face.

The reporter's eyes widen as she looked between Kise and the male that spoke.

"I-Ito-san? Does this mean what I think it means?" the reporter shook with joy. The male, Ito, looked to Kise and winked at him, making the blond blush even more. Ito smirked playfully and wrapped an arm around Kise's waist tightly.

"Yes. Kise and I are dating."

Aomine dropped the bottles onto the floor, not hearing the glass breaking into pieces.

The reporter screamed with delight as Kise chuckled shyly. "R-Riku-kun…" the blond muttered softly.

"Already using first name bases?!" the reporter quickly talked to the cameraman, asking if he's getting this. While she had her back turned, Ito smiled charmingly and planted a soft kiss against his lover's lips.

He muttered something too low for the microphone to pick up but Kise smiled brightly after he heard and started to answer all of the flushed woman's questions.

The brute heard enough. He shut off the TV and started to grab his things quickly. He needed something stronger tonight. Quickly, he rushed out of his dirty apartment and headed down the stairs. He ran to the nearest bar and ordered anything that was strong. He just wanted to forget what he just heard. He knew that eventually Kise will move on from him and find someone that's better suited. He just didn't expect it to be this soon.

Or the pain that came with it.

Sadly, he couldn't get away from it because of the TV at the bar was still playing Kise and whatever his face's interview. He asked for the entire bottle from the bartender and began chugging from it. The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

When Aomine almost finished the bottle and he started to see the walls sway, he smiled drunkenly. At this stage, he knew he couldn't think straight which means he can't think of… what was his name again?

"Pfft. Ito-san could do so much better than that whiny brat" he heard someone from across the bar yell out. He could tell that the male was drunk as well.

"You don't think that Kise-kun and Ito-san are super cute together?" he heard a female voice. Aomine turned around to find a female with blond hair and green eyes pouting with a guy that had his height, brown eyes, and black hair. He had a scar across his left eye, making him ten times scarier than a normal guy looks.

It didn't scare the brute one bit.

"No, I don't! Kise is just a whiny brat that thinks he could get whatever he wants! I don't think he's gay either. Like, have you seen the many women he was surrounded with? He probably fucked all of them!"

Aomine had enough. He ripped himself off the stool and made his way over to the male.

"Take that back" he heard himself mutter. The male snickered and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why should I? It's the truth isn't it?"

"Probably not as true as you being a crying pussy that hasn't gotten laid in years" the brute smirked back. The male roared and threw a punch at the brute. It landed on his right cheek and he stumbled back. The male didn't stop there. He lunged himself on top of the brute and started to punch his entire body, mostly his face. The brute also threw his own punches, focusing on the other's stomach.

When he heard a loud groan, Aomine grabbed an empty bottle that fell on the floor and smashed it on the other's head. Both bleeding, they kept continuing on until the police arrived. The male was pulled off the brute, screaming at him that it won't be the end of it and was hauled away in a cop car.

Aomine felt his coworkers eyed him as they slapped the handcuffs on his wrists that are behind his back and led him towards their own vehicle. Neither one spoke to each other as they drove him to the station. Even the station grew quiet when a bloody Aomine walked through the doors in handcuffs. Instead of taking him to the holding cell, they took him to the Chief's office, where an angry Wakamatsu and a disappointed boss were waiting.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Leave us" the Chief's voice echoed through the room. The two officers that had a hold of Aomine saluted and walked out the door.

The Chief leaned back into his chair and cleared his throat.

"So, Aomine? Any explanation as to why you were found drunk bar fighting with a random stranger?"

The brute kept his gaze on the floor, hoping it will help the spinning of the room better to manage.

"Didn't like what he was saying."

"That doesn't give you the right to start beating on him!" Wakamatsu yelled furiously. The Chief raised a hand, silencing the male.

"First your actions out on the field became sloppy. Then, the slow progress of desk work. Now, it's a bar fight. I'm sorry Aomine but I have no choice but to suspend you from the police force. You've become a threat to yourself and to those around you. In two weeks, I'll be expecting you to come to my office and explain why you should be let back in. If I don't find any progress in your recovery, you will be terminated effective immediately. Do I make myself clear?" the Chief raised an eyebrow.

The brute slowly nodded.

"Yes, Chief."

"Good. Wakamatsu, take him home. Make sure he eats and takes a shower. He reeks of alcohol" the Chief sternly said. The blond saluted his superior officer and grabbed the brute by the arm and harshly tugged at him to exit. They walked together to the squad car quietly, making no noise as they got in and Wakamatsu started to drive. When they were almost halfway to their destination, Aomine spoke up.

"I slept with him."

The blond nearly hit the curb as the statement surprised him. He was about to yell at him when the brute continued on. He told his partner everything. From when he first found out his love for his best friend to the day Kise left his life for good. Once he finished his story, Wakamatsu sighed heavily.

"I figured it was something to do with him. It was obvious how you felt about him."

The brute looked at his partner in a curious stare. Wakamatsu rolled his eyes.

"Really? You didn't realize that you were in love with him until recently?" the officer sighed heavily as he made a left turn.

"No. I knew since the last time we played ball together. I just didn't accept it until the day I forced him out of my life."

The blond shook his head as he parked in front of the building. "You're an idiot Aomine. Why the hell would you let him go?"

The brute took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's better this way."

Wakamatsu murmured something under his breath before exiting out of the car. He walked to the passenger side and helped Aomine out and into the building. It was a bit difficult helping the big male up the stairs but they managed to make it to the front door. They opened it and the blond help him make his way to the bathroom.

He sat him down on the toilet with a gasp.

"You need to lay off the beers. I swear you gained weight" Wakamatsu stretched out his back. Aomine rolled his eyes and grabbed a hold of the counter next to him. "Hurry and take a shower. I'll leave some clothes for you and start making something."

"You don't have to-"

"I do. Chief's orders."

The blond slowly walked to the door but paused and tensed up. "Look, I'm sure you have your reasons why you did the things you did. It doesn't mean you can throw your entire life away. I mean, what was the number one reason why you joined? To protect people, right? If you get fired from the police force, you won't be able to keep that dream."

The blond rubbed the back of his neck.

"Your mother would be very disappointed," he whispered, barely audible for the drunken brute. Before Aomine could react to what his partner said, the blond continued. "Please recover from this. Make your friends proud. Make the chief proud. Make your mother proud. That way, we can both get back onto the field to do what we do best. Fight bad guys and protect the public. We have to protect them so everyone could be safe. That's your dream, right? Is it still?" he gripped the doorknob.

The brute's heart tightened in his chest. He hasn't thought of his mom for the longest time. He felt guilty.

Without uttering another word, the blond officer exited the bathroom. Aomine stayed sitting for a while, replaying his partner's words over and over while trying to make the world stop spinning. When he figured he can stand on his own, he turned on the water, stripped down and started to wash his entire body. Feeling the hot droplets hit and roll down his body felt amazing and somewhat sobered him up. Once he finished, he stepped out, wrapped a towel around his waist and went into his bedroom.

There on his bed laid a red long sleeve shirt and black sweatpants. He raised an eyebrow as he picked up the shirt. He doesn't remember owning a long sleeve, especially this small. He shrugged his shoulders and tried to put it on. With a couple of tugs and a few adjustments, the shirt slid on nicely, showing off the brute's biceps. He put on the rest of his clothes before heading to the kitchen. On the dining table was a smoking hot plate of white rice and grilled chicken.

The brute's mouth watered.

He doesn't remember the last time he ate a home cook meal, too lazy to make any food himself. He engulfed the entire thing within minutes and set a reminder to buy his partner a gift since he let a ton of leftovers.

While the brute ate his food, the wheels in his head started to turn.

He knows that what he's doing is ridiculous. Sinking lower into the heartbreak pain is going to end up ruining his life. He especially would never forgive himself if he was fired from the force. He joined because he wanted to protect people. He wanted to save them before it was too late.

Just like his mom.

His mother was one of the top detectives in the district. She won countless awards, helped solve multiple crimes, and even shook the Prime Minister's hand. She was a brave woman that would never back down from a fight, especially to protect the people she loves.

Aomine doesn't remember the exact details of what happened that day except that she didn't show up to pick him up from school. He waited for hours at the front until he saw her partner walking up to him with a sad look on his face. At that moment, he knew. He knew his mother was gone from this world and he would have nowhere to go.

His mom's partner began talking to him saying that "she died a hero" and "she wanted to you know that she loves you very much" and things like that. Aomine knew all of that at the time. He knew that she will always be known as a hero and she will always love him. In fact, she would tell him every single day.

He was proud to be her child.

Now, he felt sick to his stomach. He felt so guilty and disgusted with himself. Wakamatsu was right. His mother would be very disappointed with him.

Finishing up the last of his meal, he put the plate in the full sink and sighed heavily. Well, if he's going to get his life together, he might as well get his place cleaned up first.

Starting in the living room, he casually started things up, being aware of the slight pain that's still in his head. For minutes, he worked all over the place, either throwing trash away or putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. Once it was pretty much clean, he put his clothes in the washer before tackling the last struggle.

The dishes.

Letting out an exhale, he looked at the massive amount of dishes that needed to be cleaned. He grabbed his sponge and started to scrub away. He doesn't know how he did it, but he finished with all the dishes clean and soap in his hair and cheek.

Collapsing on the chair, he smiled a bit for the first time since that day. It felt good. Putting out his phone and opening his camera, he began to laugh hysterically at the way he looked. He doesn't know what came over him but he felt extremely wonderful.

A knock on the door interrupted his laughing. He got up, wiped his cheek, and opened the door to find one of the last people he'd expect on the other side.

Aomine raised an eyebrow at the male staring back at him. His hair and clothes were dripping wet, his hands were slouched to the side, and there was redness underneath the other's eyes.

What stood out the most was the faint handprint on their left cheek.

"Long time no see."

"I know you don't want to see me but I have nowhere else to go" the other rubbed one of his arms for comfort. Aomine sighed heavily and leaned against the doorway.

"Why don't you go back home?"

The other flinched, making Aomine become worried. The other bit his bottom lip. Noticing the nerves in the male in front of him, Aomine reached out to grab his arm and slowly soothed him.

"What happened?"

Aomine was met with dark crimson eyes filled with tears before he got his answer.

"I'm leaving Narumi. She's been cheating on me since before the wedding with her brother's best friend."


	15. A Dream Come True

Aomine stood there with his mouth gaped open. Kagami kept his gaze down, slight shivering because of his drenched clothes. The brute took note and gripped onto the other's arm.

"Come in. Go to the bathroom and take a shower. I'll have clothes ready when you come out" the officer quietly said as he brought the redhead inside. Neither male said anything after that. Aomine did as what he said he was going to do and even started heating leftovers for the male. When Kagami finished his shower and came out wearing shorts and a hoodie, he sat down at the dining table. The brute sat down a plate of food and took the seat next to Kagami.

For a few minutes, the redhead just played with the chicken, showing no interest in eating. Aomine sighed heavily and run a hand through his hair.

"Kagami… I-I don't know what to say."

The redhead snorted.

"I know. It's okay…" he said softly as he dropped his fork onto the plate. He placed his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands. "I just… don't understand. Why go through with the marriage? Why go through all of this money when she wasn't in love with me? Why make me believe that the kid was mine?" his voice broke. The brute's heart shattered.

"The kid wasn't yours?"

Kagami shook his head. "No. She was pregnant even before the marriage. It's his baby" he spat. The brute inhaled sharply and looked out the window.

"Fucking bitch. I felt something was up when I went over for dinner."

"And you decided not to tell me anything?"

"What was I supposed to say? You were head over heels over her."

The redhead sighed and dropped his hands. "You're right. I was a complete idiot."

Aomine thinned his lips as he took a closer look at his best friend. He was a completely different person than a few hours ago. His hair was tangled, he had dark circles under his eyes, and a pale skin color that didn't look too healthy. Kagami chuckled softly and eyed his friend.

"It explains everything though. Why she refused to sleep with me, why she stayed out late at night, why she let me go to the doctor's appointment but never showed me the paperwork, why she refused to let the baby have my last name" he continued as Aomine's face twisted in disgust. Finally hearing enough, the brute came close to the male and placed his hands on top of the rambling redhead's hands.

"Kagami stop. She doesn't deserve you anyway. None of this is your fault."

The redhead sniffled as he looked into navy blue eyes.

"I just don't understand why she did it. Why did she do this to me…?" he croaked. Aomine's face fell as he stood up and brought his best friend into a tight hug. Kagami broke down into a quiet sob as the brute tried to hold him together. They stayed that way for a few minutes, only being able to hear Kagami's quiet breaths.

Finally, Aomine sighed as he patted the other's back gently. "How did you find out?" he couldn't help but ask. Kagami tensed at the question. Aomine pulled back to eye the broken male. The redhead shifted his gaze to the ground, biting his bottom lip. In that instant, Aomine noticed how close he was to his best friend. He could just move a couple of inches closer and his lips would make contact.

The thought made the brute go crazy.

"After our fight at the basketball court, I went home since we were supposed to play a while. I caught her in bed with him. I recognized him, fought him, beat him up quickly, and she kicked me out of the house. That's when I asked her for a divorce."

The tan male blinked a couple of times, trying desperately not to think of the redhead's lips that were right in front of him. He had to be here for his best friend. He needs to focus.

Kagami noticed the sudden tension in his friend and decided to make eye contact. They stared at each other for a while until Kagami looked down, his cheeks somewhat flushed.

"Aomine?"

The brute didn't reply.

"Did you mean what you said? Back at the basketball court?"

The former power forward glanced at the wall to his right, trying to regain control of his movements. He balled his hands into fists. "I um…" he rubbed the back of his neck, taking a mini step back. Hurt flashed through Kagami's eyes as he nodded his head.

"I get it. It was just a heat of the moment thing. I mean, who could be in love with me? My wife wasn't" the redhead whispered to himself. Aomine lost it after hearing that. He thinned his lips as he grabbed the other's arm and pulled him close. Aomine hovered his lips over Kagami's, waiting for the dense redhead to get the picture.

"Don't compare me to your ex-wife. I'm nothing like her."

Kagami blinked a couple of times before whispering. "Show me."

Aomine smirked before closing the gap between the two. It was a slow kiss, feeling the heat radiate between the two. Kagami moaned softly as he glided his hands all over Aomine's upper body, focusing on the other's biceps. Aomine broke the kiss as he fixed his pleasure to the redhead's neck.

"I-I've… ah… never s-seen this shirt before" Kagami struggled to get a grip on his voice. The brute smirked as he bit on the side slightly. The redhead shuddered.

"Neither have I. It fits though."

"Ve-ry good I might a-add."

Aomine chuckled lowly as he sucked on his partner's earlobe, earning another delicious shudder. Kagami bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back his noises. Aomine raised an eyebrow as he leaned in close. "You're enjoying this way too much for a straight guy."

Kagami's face turned red as a tomato while he tried to keep his voice down. "I-I guess I wasn't fully straight to begin with."

Aomine blinked a couple of times trying to comprehend what his best friend said. When his brain connected the words, he returned his lips onto the other with much more passion and force than before. The redhead yelped in surprise but complied once he realized what the other was doing.

The brute couldn't believe his luck right now.

His best friend, the man he's been madly in love with, has just admitted that he might not be fully straight after all. Which means he has a shot with him, especially since he's leaving his wife.

Kagami is single and probably gay.

Holy.

The redhead gasped as the brute slipped his hand underneath the hoodie. Aomine groaned as he continued hearing those amazing noises. He hasn't heard anything like this since-

Aomine halted his thoughts as that one name tried to come back to the surface. He pushed everything down as he tried to enjoy what he's been dreaming of for years. Without warning, the brute broke the kiss and ripped off the hoodie from the male. Kagami gulped heavily as Aomine returned his mouth to different parts of the other's body. The brute pulled them to the couch, forcing his friend to sit on top of him. The redhead groaned and sighed in pleasure as his best friend continued.

Just like back at the court, he has no idea what happened but suddenly everything started to change.

He heard the delicious cries of bliss echoing in his ear. He tasted the bittersweet taste of sweat and strawberries mixed. He saw flashes of golden spheres staring right back at him. He felt the small goosebumps forming around the naked slim body on top of his.

He was thinking about Kise while making out with his best friend.

After that thought, he bit his bottom lip and dropped his head onto the redhead's shoulder. Kagami blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around the other.

"You're thinking about Kise, aren't you?" the redhead asked gently. Aomine stiffened as he kept his gaze down.

"I loved you. I really did. You were always on my mind after that kiss on the court. You said it was an accident but that's when I knew that I liked men and wanted you. I wanted you so bad that I imagined us together far too much to count" Aomine took in a deep breath before continuing. "When I heard the news that you were getting married, I was devastated. I was in physical pain when I was standing right beside you and heard you say those two bone-crushing words."

Aomine took his hands off his friend and looked into his eyes. "I loved you Kagami, but I'm in love with Kise now."

He waited for the screaming or the physical punches that would come at any minute. He expected for Kagami to get embarrassed, slap him for using him and walk out of his life, just like the blond. Instead, the redhead smiled sadly and brought his friend in for a hug.

"I kind of figured that was the case. I heard about Kise and that actor. I'm so sorry Aomine" he said gently.

Aomine tried to blink back the tears but couldn't. Rather he found himself bringing his best friend closer and sobbed on top of his shoulder. He told Kagami everything that he's been through. The painful experience of the wedding, the "dates" that he and Kise went on, the time he hated himself so much because he scared the blond, the greatest night of his life followed by the worst day, how he's been feeling these past days.

He told Kagami everything and his best friend simply nodded and glided his hand through the brute's hair. When Aomine calmed himself enough, he pulled back as he wiped his tears away.

"I'm sorry that I used you tonight. I thought I knew what I wanted but-" he was cut off by the pointer finger of the redhead.

"Aomine. It's okay. I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have egged you on like that."

They didn't say anything to each other after that for minutes, fearing to break the uneasy tension that one was feeling.

When he couldn't take it anymore, the brute rubbed the back of his head. "So uh… we good?"

Kagami laughed brightly as he got off Aomine's lap. "Yeah. We good" he smiled as he slipped on the borrowed hoodie. The brute smiled back as he headed back to the table. "Come on and eat. You haven't taken a single bite since you got here."

The redhead rolled his eyes but complied.

The rest of the night consisted of them eating and talking just like old times. Kagami told him about his not-so-perfect marriage and how he was curious about the same sex. Aomine reddens as Kagami thanked him for helping him explore that side. They became a bit uncomfortable as they tried to figure out what Kagami is going to do about his wife and telling their families about it but felt better when Aomine offered his place to stay for the time being.

Kagami almost chucked a plate at the brute's head when he told him that he got suspended from his work. The redhead gave him a long pep talk about how he can't ruin his life this way and everything that Wakamatsu told him earlier that night. Aomine told him that he's going to start making the changes tomorrow and vowed that he will never go down that spiral ever again.

When they both opened up about their lives and caught up on everything, they decided it was time for bed. Kagami washed the dishes while Aomine went to grab extra blankets for his best friend.

"I hope you don't mind taking the couch."

"Dude. I slept on this thing so much that I could probably write my name on the side and claim it."

They both chuckled as Aomine headed to his room.

"Aomine."

The brute turned to find his friend smiling at him. "Thank again for tonight."

The former power forward smiled back and went into his room. Taking off the tight long sleeve shirt since it's a little too snug, he crawled into bed and took a deep breath. He felt like a boulder was lifted off his chest. At the same time, reality hit him like a brick as he realized that he was no longer in love with Kagami.

He was relieved.

Now, if only he could figure out what to do with the fact that he was in love with a taken man once again.

Too soon, morning came and Aomine woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. His mouth watered as he stretched and walked to the kitchen. His best friend was in an apron next to the stove. He was bobbing his head and humming a soft tune. The brute smiled at the sight. Not just because he didn't feel any intimate feelings at all, but it was nice seeing Kagami relaxed for the first time in a long time.

"Mornin' Kagami."

The redhead turned to flash a frown. "Seriously! How did you survive the last few months?! You have nothing to cook with! I had to go to the market down the street. The lady at the register looked at me weird because she thought I was going to eat all of this by myself!" Kagami huffed and he flipped over a slice of bacon. Aomine laughed hysterically.

"I can see her face right now."

"It's not funny!" the former Serin ace said with a smile. Within a few minutes, breakfast was finished and both sat down to eat.

"How did you sleep?"

Kagami sighed heavily. "I could've slept better" he muttered as he pulled out his phone. Aomine raised an eyebrow as he took the phone from him. "She called me twenty-seven times and left fourteen voicemails" the redhead looked down at his plate. Aomine huffed as he did a bit of clicking.

"There. She's completely blocked from your life. I just sent her a text saying to expect papers in the mail coming from your lawyer as well."

His best friend widens his eyes. "You what?! But I don't-"

"Relax Kagami. I have a friend who knows a guy" the brute shrugged his shoulders. The former Serin player slumped in his seat.

"Wow… It just… kind of clicked, you know? I'm getting a divorce."

"Just remember it wasn't your fault. She's the screw up here and you deserve someone way better, whether it's a girl or guy" Aomine winked at his best friend. Kagami smiled a bit and returned to breakfast. When they finished their first plate, Kagami set down his fork.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

The brute snickered as the redhead rolled his eyes.

"If you're in love with Kise, why don't you go fight for him? Why let him go so easy?"

Aomine turned his gaze to the window and took a few deep breaths.

"It's really for the best. All I've ever done to Kise was cause him pain. Starting in middle school and it has gradually gotten worse when we were in high school. Not to mention I used him that night and made him think that it was going to be more. I knew what I was doing and I knew I should've stopped but I couldn't" he rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Most of all, I've failed him twice. You know about my mom and what her dream was. I failed her and I failed him. I couldn't keep him safe. Even from me" he muttered.

Kagami thinned his lips as he patted his best friend's back. "You're a different person now than you were in high school. You were both drunk that night and knowing you, you probably were just following instincts. Plus, I don't think Kise saw it was you using him for his body. As for the two incidents, you had no idea that Hazaki was going to catch you off guard that night and you were just lost in your emotions when you yelled at Kise."

The redhead sighed. "You can't beat yourself up for the past. You can only keep moving forward and make the future better." He stood up as he took both plates to the kitchen.

"If I were you, I would fight. I would try to get him back because if you don't, he's just going to slip from your fingers and you're going to beat yourself up with the what-if questions" he served more and head back to the table.

Aomine smiled a bit as he dug his fork into the hashbrowns. "How you know so much about romance?" he wiggled his eyebrows. Kagami laughed. "You caught me. I secretly read romantic novels and take notes on how to woo someone" he said sarcastically.

Before the brute could reply, the doorbell rang. Kagami instantly froze up.

"Hey, it's okay. She never figured out where I lived" Aomine said calmly. The redhead nodded as he watched his best friend head to the front door. He opened it wide to find the woman he's been seeing frequently step into the apartment.

"Huh, so this what your apartment looks like during the day time."

Aomine slapped his hand against his forehead. "What do you want?"

She turned her body to face him and threw her long black hair over her shoulder. "I have a boyfriend now so we can't see each other anymore. Don't call me" she smiled. The brute shrugged his shoulders.

"You couldn't have just called to tell me that?"

She pouted and slowly made her way back out the door. "I can't. He keeps track of who I call because of my record."

The tan male sighed heavily and gripped the door. "Well. Good luck with that. Delete my number while you're at it."

She huffed and stomped over to the elevator. Aomine shut the door and turned around to find his best friend plastered with a grimace.

"What?"

"Dude. Please tell me you didn't sleep with her."

"What? Why?"

"Did you take a good look at her? She could pass off being a guy!"

The brute rolled his eyes and sat back down at the dining table. "You're just being dramatic. Besides, she's one of the very few that respected the no attachment rule."

Kagami nodded but stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"Anyways, what were you saying about reading romantic novels?"

"T-That was a joke!" Kagami flushed red while Aomine chuckled. They went back to their breakfast shortly afterward.

"So, are you like done then?"

"Done with what?"

"You know. Sleeping around, drinking your life away, getting fired from jobs" Kagami glowered. Aomine rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Don't worry. Today is the start of a new and improved Aomine Daiki."

"Wow. That sounded really cheesy."

"Shut up."


	16. Welcome Back

_**ThePurgeGoddess: Your wish is my command!**_

_I apologize for having this chapter posted so late! This whole COV19 thing is no joke. Literally I'm wearing so many things at work that's hard to breathe. Though, I'm so happy that I can make a difference. I hope everyone is staying safe out there. Protect your loved ones and please stay indoors as much as you can. I know it sucks but, trust me, it's for the best. _

_Anyways, since we're all cooped up in our houses for the time being, here's chapter sixteen that way overdue! Enjoy! Don't forget to leave a like or review if you like! _

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They finished with their food and started to clean up the kitchen. Once done, Aomine decided to lay on the sofa while Kagami borrowed the cop's laptop. The redhead continued researching for divorce lawyers while the brute waited for his friend to call back. He got the call around dinner time and told the males of a certain lawyer that does really well especially divorce cases. Kagami called him and set up an appointment for tomorrow morning. Since Aomine is suspended from the force for two weeks, he offered to go with him. Kagami smiled brightly and agreed.

They had pasta for dinner that night and having the thought of the divorce being real, Kagami cried the majority of the night, letting the brute comfort him as best as he could. The next morning, both males woke up bright and headed over to the lawyer's office. Kagami kept jumping in his seat, his nerves acting a lot today. When the brute pulled into the parking lot, the redhead held his breath.

"She's here."

Aomine turned his head to find a familiar car parked three cars away from them. The brute's blood began to boil. He turned to his friend and was about to say something before Kagami shook his head.

"I want to go in. Maybe it's not her after all" he tried to convince himself. The cop sighed in defeat and followed his best friend up the stairs to a fancy elevator to take them to the fifth floor. When the doors opened, they followed the path and knocked on the door.

A young gentleman in his mid-thirties with blond hair answered with a smile.

"I'll be with you in just a second. Have a seat and a cookie while you wait" he brought them into his waiting room where a water fountain and some cookies were laid out. Aomine smiled as he took a chocolate chip one and bit it in half. The lawyer smiled brightly as he walked to the end of the room and shut the door. Immediately, they hear a female voice being raised along with a monotone male voice. Kagami sighed deeply and looked to his best friend.

"Yeah. It's definitely them."

The brute bit his tongue as the lawyer laughed and slowly opened the door.

"Well, thank you so much for your time. I'll look over your case and contact you about my final decision" the lawyer smiled as he let out Kagami's soon-to-be ex-wife along with her lover.

Her eyes went wide while her lover's gaze fell to the floor.

"T-Taiga-kun?" she said softly. Kagami visibly flinched and looked down. She tried to reach out to him but Aomine slapped her hand away. Her lover instantly stood in front of her and scowled. Aomine stood up and looked down at the smaller male.

"Um… is there a problem here?" the lawyer asked quietly.

"No. There's no problem here, Nakamura-san. May we come inside your office now?" the redhead stood up and started to pull his best friend away from the lover. The lawyer nodded and gestured for them to have a seat in the double chairs in front of a desk. Aomine didn't break his gaze away from the smaller male until the door was shut.

"I'm guessing that's your wife?" the lawyer asked.

Kagami sighed. "Hopefully ex soon." The lawyer nodded and took a seat on his desk.

"I heard her story about the whole situation. I would like to hear your side. It's not every day the husband and wife try to take the same lawyer" he said softly. Aomine raised an eyebrow and looked to his best friend. The redhead took a deep breath and looked into the lawyer's eyes.

"She's been having an affair with the male that came in with her before the wedding. I only recently found out because I came home early and there she was, in bed with him. As you can see, she's currently pregnant but not to worry because the child isn't even mine" his voice fell. Aomine put his hand on the other's shoulder and squeezed.

"Hmm… very interesting. She tells a different tale."

Both males look up at the serious lawyer. "She claims that you were the one having an affair with someone else, both males and females. She couldn't take it anymore and ask for legal action. She wanted to find a really good lawyer because she was afraid that you might take your child away from her."

The office went into a tense silence for a while. Then, out of nowhere, Aomine began to laugh hysterically. Both Nakamura and his best friend stared at him in concern.

"I'm sorry. I just never heard so much bullshit in my life before. It's hilarious" the brute continued snickering. Once he calmed down, he rubbed his blue hair before eyeing the lawyer. "If you want to believe her, go ahead. Sure, he might be interested in guys and girls now. That part is true" he paused as he blocked the hand that was coming his way from a flustered firefighter. "That was not the reason why they are getting a divorce. She's a liar, a manipulator, and sooner or later, karma is going to hit her square in the jaw" he shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into his chair. The lawyer smiled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, karma is going to hit her today. I'm taking your case."

Both males widen their eyes.

"You are?"

Nakamura nodded and walked around to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out an entire stack of papers. "I am. Once we go over these legal documents of course." He handed them over to the surprised redhead.

"Wait hold on" Aomine snatched the papers away and looked at the grinning lawyer suspiciously. "Why are you taking his case when you told that bitch that you'll think about hers?"

"Aomine!"

"What?! She is!"

The blond laughed softly before eyeing the brute. "I have to agree. She reminds me a lot of my ex-wife. Demanding, thinking the world revolves around her, cheated on me with her cousin" he shrugged his shoulders. Kagami blinked a few times. "I know what you're going through. You're just very lucky that you have no other ties with her. I told her that I'll think about it because I knew she would throw a huge fit and would threaten to ruin my business if I told her right then and there. I'll take my chances over the phone."

Aomine nodded and returned the papers back to the firefighter.

"Now, shall we get started?" he said. Both men nodded and started to take notes while Nakamura started to explain the procedure of what to do next. After two hours, they were saying goodbye to their new friend, waiting to hear back from him within a few days.

They walked back to their car feeling much better than either of them had in days. When they got home, Kagami had a smile on his face while he made lunch for the both of them. While they ate, Wakamatsu came over to check up on his partner and was relieved to see him feeling much better.

Over the course of the two weeks, Nakamura emailed the redhead back and forth to keep him in the loop of the progress of the divorce. Aomine constantly worked on getting back in shape or helped his partner with his current cases when he came over to visit. By the end of the two weeks, Kagami was nervous because the next day, he was going to court to meet his wife to make the divorce final. Aomine, on the other hand, was excited and proud to show the station and his boss on what great changes he's made.

He felt so good when he put on his uniform in the morning. He even gave his badge a few scrubs to make it shiny. When he stepped out of his room all ready to go, he found his best friend pacing back and forth with a suit he let him borrow. Aomine sighed heavily and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be fine. Just relax and let him do the talking."

Kagami took a deep breath. "I know. I just hope we can finish this today. I don't want to deal with her anymore."

"You and me both dude."

Both of them slightly chuckled before they left the apartment, each in their own separate cars. When the brute reached his work and walked through the front doors, everyone at the station fell silent. Aomine smiled brightly as his coworkers nodded in approval in his appearance.

"Aomine. In my office. Now" he heard the Chief's voice boom across the room. The blue-haired male followed orders quickly and shut the door behind him. "Why should I let you back into the force?"

The brute smiled brightly as he made eye contact with his boss.

"I should come back because it's my job to protect people. My mother was one of the best and now I want to make my mother proud of me. I want to continue her legacy. I don't want to throw my life away anymore. I want to come back to work and put people behind bars so our community can become a better place."

The Chief nodded in agreement. "That's the answer that I wanted to hear. Welcome back to the force" he stood up and held out his hand. Aomine took it with ease and shook it.

"I promise you I won't let you down ever again."

The old male smiled gently as he sat back down. "I know you won't." He carefully went through his drawers and pulled out a fairly decent size folder. "Here's what we're currently working on right now. I need you to read this before our next meeting."

The brute took the folder and looked at the clock. "Which is?"

"In an hour."

"Consider it done."

The Chief smiled and let the brute leave the office. Outside was his partner waiting for him in the flesh. "Glad to have you back" the blond grinned. The brute smiled brightly as they walked back to their desks. Aomine began reading the folder while thanking his coworkers for congratulating him in coming back once again.

When it was time for the meeting, the brute was ready. Before he took his seat, he handed the folder back to the Chief and almost jumped in excitement.

"Everyone take your seats. Let's get started" the Chief yelled across the room. Everyone instantly fell silent. The Chief sighed heavily and dimmed down the lights, turning on the projector.

"As you know, the gang known as The Red Dragons have been making a lot of noise these past few weeks. They've stolen thousands of dollars from banks, stores, schools, and even hospitals. Countless people were held hostages and sadly, during those cases, we've lost seven civilian lives."

Small whispers were made. The Chief took a deep breath before changing it to the next screen.

"I'm sad to report that we now lost one of our own." He took a pause as people gasped. "Lieutenant Kobayashi was killed in the line of duty last night. He leaves a wife and four kids. Let's all pay respects in silence now."

The entire room went quiet as a few people tried to hold their tears. "Before he died, he left us with this information." He paused as he clicked on his remote to show the next picture. On it was a huge building filled with windows. "This is the gang's next target. The Osaku building is holding a red carpet party later tonight for many famous actors and actresses. Their plan is to come from the roof and make their way down through the front door. We will not let that happen."

He clicked again.

"We will split into three different units. Team Alpha will cover the party's security. Team Bravo will handle the rest of the building. Team Charlie will be air support and snipers. You will get your assignments when this meeting is over. Team Alpha will be in charge of keeping all guests safe and to report any suspicious activity. You all will stand by here in the fifteen floor. That's where the party is held."

He clicked again, showing the blueprint of the entire building.

"Team Bravo will be the biggest out of the three. Our department along with three other districts will be in this team. They will cover the rest of the building's security. No one gets in or out without authority. Report any suspicious activity and handle it before it can get out of control."

He clicked once more, this time showing the entire block and the buildings.

"Team Charlie will be covering the skies and will be placed in any building surrounding the Osaku. Snipers will be alert at all times. Double security at every door. I want helicopters circling every half hour. I do not want anyone getting in or out without permission, is that understood?"

The entire room agreed loudly. The Chief nodded slowly as he looked around the room.

"This gang has been here for far too long. They terrorized our families and neighborhood enough. It's time we put a stop to them once and for all"

Many officers agreed and cheered, including Aomine.

He bypassed a few slides before he stopped at a blurry image of a man. "His name is Kenzo Benzi. He's the mastermind of the gang. Though, he's not our main target. He always sends his second in command to do his dirty work." He clicked again and Aomine nearly ripped the armrests from his seat.

"Our target is him: Haizaki Shogo. A few months ago, we tried to book him on a physical assault but he made bail and was never seen since. We can't let that happen again."

The Chief shut off the projector and let someone turn on the lights before speaking again. "Our main goal for tonight is to protect everyone. No more casualties. Our second goal is to capture Haizaki alive. We get him, we'll get Benzi and the Red Dragons will be no more."

The room went into huge applause and cheered as the chief walked out of the room. The two lieutenants calmed the room down and began assigning people to the three teams. Aomine held his breath and they looked at each other before telling him he will be with Bravo. The brute nodded and headed back to his desk.

"Hey, Aomine. I've been meaning to ask" he heard his partner behind him. The tan male signaled him that he was listening. "Isn't that the guy you almost killed because of Kise?"

He nodded.

"Then, why aren't you with Alpha? No one can protect him better than you can." The male looked at his partner with a frown. "Yeah like that time? I did such a great job" he said sarcastically.

"Oh come on Aomine. You need to stop beating yourself for that."

"Doesn't matter. I don't think it's a good idea for Kise and me to be in the same room anyway. Especially when he'll be all cooped up in his boyfriend's arms."

"Ah. Right. Do you think Kise told him about you?"

"What's there to tell? He told the whole world that I was just a nobody" he shrugged his shoulders. Wakamatsu was about to start again when someone called his name. The blond sighed as he made his way over to the problem.

Aomine took a deep breath. He was glad that he wasn't put in Alpha honestly. The thought of seeing the man that has his heart still hurts, especially since he deserves everything that comes his way. He knows he let him go. He did what was best.

Now, he's doing what's best for him.

He inhaled sharply as he took sight of the paperwork that was stacked on his desk. He forgot he left it here since his suspension. Aomine dropped his head as he took the first folder on the top of the stack. Might as well get started.

Luckily, some of his coworkers felt bad for the brute and started helping with filling in the papers. Pretty soon, half of the station was helping and everyone was talking to one another. As if they're not going into a deep battle within a few hours. With an hour to spare, the entire office cheered as the last of the files were stored away.

Wakamatsu smiled as his partner as the normally grumpy brute was talking to his team. _He's grown quite a lot since a few months ago. I hope he can be happy eventually._

Aomine looked at the blond and brought him into the conversation. A few more chit chattering until the two lieutenants from before started gathering everyone up in their locations. Aomine and Wakamastu made their way to the armory where they slipped on a bulletproof vest, a gun strap for his pistol, and a strap so his rifle can be attached to him at all times. When they were fully equipped, they went into the many vans that were waiting outside. Once full, the vehicle drove quickly to their location.

Already the entrance was starting to get busy. Celebrities were trying to make their way inside before the press came and found them. Quickly, Aomine's squad filed out of the van and made their way inside the building. Once secure, they started to let them in. Sadly, Aomine and his partner were stuck in guarding the ground level. Meaning there was a good chance that he might end up seeing the model.

It's the reason why he decided to roam the back of the building for the first hour or two. When he was relieved of his position, he dragged his feet over to the front. He gripped his rifle in front of him as he looked straight ahead.

"U-Um. Excuse me?" he heard a voice slightly below him. He looked down to find a small little girl looking up at him with curiosity. "Why aren't you dressed up for the party?" she asked sweetly. The brute smiled as he kneeled down so he was eye level to her.

"I'm a police officer. I can't go to the party because I gotta make sure I stop any bad guys" he showed her his badge that was underneath the vest. Her eyes seemed to glow up.

"That's so cool! I want to be a police officer one day! Just like you!"

The brute's heart melted. "I'm sure you will. Just make sure you work hard in school okay?"

"Okay!" she smiled brightly. Her gaze fell onto the name tag that was velcroed in the vest. "What does that say?"

"That's my last name. Officer Aomine."

"Aomine-chan! Aomine-chan is the greatest!" she jumped for joy. The tan male chuckled softly as he heard a woman voice frantically yelling. The girl pouted as she faced the officer once more. "That's my mommy. I have to go" she looked down as her cheeks turned pink. "C-Can I have a hug, Aomine-chan?"

The brute smiled and hugged the small child. The girl squealed in delight and raced to the woman to the brute's left. He glanced over to see the woman hugging the girl and scolding her for running away.

That's not what he was focused on.

A few inches to the woman's left stood the one person he was fearful to meet in the flesh once again. The brute blinked a few times to see if he really was standing there. Sure enough, Kise was staring right back at him. His hair was longer than he remembered. His scar was completely faded. In fact, the model was practically glowing. Except for the fact that he was being stared down with mixed golden emotional eyes.

Aomine held his breath as he stood up, noticing how tense the blond got. He bit his lip as he saw a male talk to the blond in his ear and pushed him towards the elevator softly. They never broke eye contact until the doors shut.

"Aomine? Are you alright?" Wakamatsu came up to him. The brute cleared his throat and nodded slowly.

"Y-Yeah I'm fine. I'm just going to the bathroom real quick. Think you can watch the lobby for like two minutes?"

The blond nodded and patted his partner as the brute made his way over to the door all the way on the left. Walking in and finding no one inside, he flipped his rifle so it was behind him and threw water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, trying to calm himself down. Telling himself that he let him go for a reason and to not break down once again. When he was finally composed once more, he dried his face and took a deep breath.

Though, before he could open the door, gunshots echoed throughout the lobby followed by screams.


	17. The Truth Can Be Deadly

_**Jennifer Campbell1: So sorry for the delay but here's the second to last chapter!**_

_Again, I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I just had a really hard time writing action and "violent" scenes. Only one more chapter until the end! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll stay with me until the end!_

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Kise's heart dropped into his stomach. Navy eyes met golden and the world was blurred momentarily. He didn't remember backing away, he didn't remember hearing his boyfriend in his ear, he didn't remember stepping into the elevator until the doors closed and it was just him and Ito.

"Kise-kun. I know you're just as tired as I am but try to hang in there a bit longer" he heard Ito sighed heavily. The blond dropped his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Ito-san. I'll try to be better."

The black-haired actor rolled his eyes and pulled out a mirror. "Also, your smile is cracking a bit. You know what would happen if-"

"I know Ito-san. I don't need to be reminded."

The elevator stopped, signaling both males to fix themselves. Before the doors opened, they held each other's hand and smiled as brightly as they could. Then, they walked into the open arms of the crowd and their coworkers.

"Great job to the both of you!"

"It was so nice to work with you Ito-san!"

"Kise-kun! Please sign my forehead!"

"I wish both of you happiness forever!"

The blond smiled as he thanked each and everyone that walked up to him. He looked over to his partner who was doing the same. Pretty soon, they reached the buffet table, which was surprisingly empty. Kise took a deep breath and looked at the flustered actor.

"I didn't think we would get this much gratitude."

"Well, we are the stars of the show" Ito winked. Kise chuckled softly and looked at the entire room. "I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom." The blond nodded as he watched him go to the southeast side of the room. Ito turned back once and smiled before disappearing through the doors.

Kise stretched for a minute before taking a cup of punch from the table and started to walk around the room. The first thing he saw was the stage that was beautifully decorated with backstage pictures he took with everyone. He smiled as he saw his favorite one with his makeup artist and hairstylist kissing both of his cheeks on either side. As he kept walking, he realized that the building had two balconies that led to outside, one on each side.

The blond smiled brightly as he took in the rest of the place.

People were dancing and singing along to the music that was playing in the middle of the room. On either side, tables were set up that had flower centerpieces. It looked and felt more like a wedding party than a premiere party. Kise laughed at the thought and instantly remembered the last time he went to a wedding party.

His smile faltered.

"Is everything alright, Kise-sama?" he heard a voice behind him. The blond jumped and turned around to find a middle-aged male wearing the same outfit at the brute.

"Oh! I-I'm alright. I'm sorry. You just scared me is all."

The male nodded and returned to stand against the wall. The model then looked around the room and noticed fifteen other men surround the room. He raised an eyebrow. Since when do they need this much security for a party?

In the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar blue tux coming out from the bathroom. Before Kise could wave down his partner, the elevator door pinged, and out came seven men wearing all black.

"Everyone on the ground now!" someone yelled. People began to scream as gunshots echoed throughout the place. Kise began to shake and locked eyes with his boyfriend. Ito was hyperventilating and without a single doubt, he turned around and ran straight for the stairs. Kise couldn't believe it. He was left alone here. Everyone was screaming and fighting their way to escape alive.

He heard a thump behind him and found the same guy that spoke to him a few minutes ago laying on the ground, blood seeping from his head. Four guys wearing the same thing as the ones who barged in were hovering over the body. Bright blue eyes met his own and he smiled slowly. The doors to the outside balcony were wide open.

"If I were you, I'd just stay quiet and listen to what the boss has to say," the blue eye guy said. Kise bit his lip and nodded slowly, fearing if he doesn't, they'll end his life right then and there.

"Everyone freeze!" one of the men in black shot a bullet in the ceiling, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. "Everyone on their knees now!" another pointed the gun at the massive crowd gathered around the door that led to the stairs. The crowd hushed and followed orders.

"Area secure sir. What do you want us to do?" one of the men shouted. One of the males slowly walked to the center of the room and removed his mask. Kise held his breath as the face of his ex-boyfriend lightened up with glee.

"Close all of the curtains. We lost a few men already due to the snipers in the building on the west. Once closed, move all the hostages towards that wall and take everything. Start setting up security by the stairs and two floors below us. Start building the laser after we cover everything."

The men saluted and followed commands. Kise found himself being dragged to the closest wall to him and had his arms tied behind him. The blond began to shake as he saw the curtains being closed, fearing that this would be the end of him and his coworkers.

"Hey, Haizaki? This curtain won't close" one of the males called out into the office. The braided-haired male walked over with a huff.

"What do you mean it won't close?"

"I mean, it's stuck. It won't move" the same male tugged at the string. Haizaki sighed and turned to one of the staff wearing a uniform.

"How do you make this move?" he asked with a frown. The woman shook in fear. "Y-You don't." He sighed heavily. "Let's try this again" he pulled out his gun that was on his waist and pointed it at the woman. "How do you make this move?" he smirked. The woman began to cry and beg to not be killed. Kise felt his anger rise in him and stood up without thinking.

"Leave her alone."

Haizaki met with golden eyes and his body softened. "Ryouta… what a pleasant surprise" he put away the pistol and slowly walked over to the blond. The crowd whispered under their breaths. The larger male smiled wickedly and softly ran his fingers through the blond hair. "My. You look as lovely as ever."

Kise ripped the hand away from him and looked down. "Don't touch me."

Haizaki frowned and raised his hand in the air, connecting it with a pale cheek. The blond grunted and fell to the ground. The crowd gasped but didn't dare move. "Ryouta. It seems you've forgotten your manners. What a shame" he shook his head with a smile and looked to one of the guys in his group. "Bring him into the office. I'll be there shortly."

Kise felt himself being lifted up and shoved towards the office on the right. He slowly walked as he eyed the terrified crowd, giving a sorrow look as he was pushed inside. He was forced to sit on the couch along with two other men in the room, each having a rifle in front of them. They shut the door and smirked.

"So, this is the famous Ryouta that the boss kept talking about" one of them took off their masks, letting the blond see an older male with silver hair and a glint in his eyes.

"Wakarum… don't think about it. You know how the boss gets when you mess with his stuff" the smaller of the two rolled his eyes. The first male huffed and stood by the door. A gunshot was made in the other room that they came from. Kise widened his eyes as he looked to the two males.

"W-What did Shogo-kun do?" he asked quietly. The smaller male turned his head.

"Who?"

Before the blond could ask again, Haizaki stepped inside the office with a smile on his face. "Wakarum. Tenki. Go help stand watch of the hostages. Put pressure on Sekio and his team. We don't have all day" he sighed. The two males nodded and left the room. Haizaki leaned over and planted a small kiss on the pale cheek.

"I'm so sorry about hurting you Ryouta. You know how my temper gets" he smiled as he undid the bondage. "That's better. You'll be good right?"

Kise nodded, knowing the horrors of what could happen if he didn't watch himself.

"That's my babe."

"What did you do out there?"

"Huh? Oh," Haizaki smiled as he glanced at his gun. "I didn't like the way that woman was staring at me. I had to show the crowd what would happen if they try to pull anything off."

Kise gasped but couldn't say anything. He tried so hard to protect everyone, to protect her, and he failed. The blond held his tears as he leaned more into the couch. Haizaki grinned as he cleaned off his gun quickly, the blond noticing the bright bloodstains then.

Putting his gun away, he walked over to the desk that was in the room and smiled darkly. "Where's your new boy toy? Apparently, you two have been spread all over the news saying that you were the "perfect couple" and whatnot" the larger male frowned. "I don't like that."

Kise fidgeted in his seat.

"P-Please don't hurt him. H-He has nothing to do with this."

"Oh but he's everything to do with this."

"No Shogo-kun!" Kise stood up and looked down on the ground. Haizaki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Little Ryouta is sticking up for his boy toy. How cute."

"...H-he's not my boy toy."

The braided-haired male walked around to lean against the desk. "What did you say?"

"He's not my boy toy. He's not my boyfriend...W-We had to make the whole thing up for the movie." The larger male grabbed a hold of the blond and pulled him close to his body. "So, please Shogo-kun, don't hurt him" the blond whispered.

Haizaki chuckled darkly as he forced Kise to look at him. "I already knew that" he smirked before slamming his lips against the model, forcing his tongue inside. Kise tried not to gag as he let him violate his mouth. When they broke apart, Haizaki sighed in relief as he threw the blond onto the couch.

"Ryouta, I have a deal to make with you" he also sat on the couch and leaned in very close. The smell of smoke and vodka hit the blond's nostrils. Kise bit his tongue, trying not to notice the wandering hands that were on his body. "Be mine. Come with me again, and I promise that I will not hurt anyone else."

Kise blinked as he eyed his ex. "Y-You won't hurt anyone?"

Haizaki smiled and nodded. "Yes. I promise to not hurt anyone… as long as you become mine" in one quick motion, the brunette forced the blond on top of his lap and started caressing the pale lower back.

"Come on… what do you say?" Haizaki whispered and he started to plant kisses on his neck. The blond bit his bottom lip. He didn't want anyone to be harmed, especially if he has the power to make sure that didn't happen. Though, the feeling of his ex feeling him all up once again, just makes his stomach churn. Before he could say anything, the door was burst open and the two males from before came running inside.

Haizaki groaned and stopped with his hands. "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?!" he yelled. Kise looked down and slowly tried to climb off his lap.

"I-I know boss but we have a problem"

"I swear if you're telling me that the laser broke again..."

"Uh no. It's not that."

"Then what is it?" Haizaki boomed in the room. Two males looked at each other before handing him a radio. "He says he wants to talk to you." The braided-haired male raised an eyebrow before pressing the button to talk.

"Who is this?" he asked sharply. The voice on the other line was panting hard. _"I swear if you touch him..." _

Haizaki's mouth slowly turned into a smirk. "Aomine. What an unpleasant surprise. I thought you would be dead by now. What a shame."

_"Where is Kise? What did you do to him?"_

"Hm? Oh, you mean Ryouta?"

_**"Don't call him that."**_

Kise shivered at the intensity of the brute's voice. The brunette laughed darkly and gripped a pale wrist tightly, earning a yelp from the blond. He brought him close to his body once again.

"I can call him whatever I want" he paused as he leaned close to Kise's ear. "Isn't that right, **Ryouta**" Haizaki grip became tighter. Kise flinched as he tried to pull away.

_"Kise..."_

The blond's heart fell into his stomach. The brute said his name with so much passion that he almost felt like it was just the two of them.

"Aominecchi…"

The braided-haired male rolled his eyes and threw the blond away from him. He stood up and removed his thumb from the button. "Find him. Bring him to me. Dead or alive I don't care. Take four men with you."

Wakarum and Tenki nodded and closed the door once again. Haizaki sat on the edge of the desk, pulled out his pistol, and pointed it directly at the blond. Kise froze in his place. Haizaki smirked and held down the button once again.

"What is your goal Aomine? That you'll come up to save little Kise here and you'll fly off into the sunset together?"

"_...no. My goal is to take you down Haizaki."_

The larger male laughed. "You're going to have to find me first."

"_Already on it. I'll see you later."_

The walkie went dead. The gang leader rolled his eyes and set the radio down on the desk. "I'm sorry for scaring you Ryouta. I had to make sure you wouldn't cry anything to your true boy toy" he smirked. Kise let out a deep breath and eyed the weapon that was being lowered.

"Do you even know why I'm here?" the larger male leaned on the desk. Kise shook his head before replying. "Isn't it because you wanted to rob us?"

"Oh, Ryouta. I thought you were smarter than that."

The blond raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

"The Red Dragons," he paused as he made a gesture that included his group. "Have been terrorizing the streets for months now. Our goal is to get as much wealth to the point where no law can stop us. We're coming close to that point."

Haizaki stood up and started to walk back and forth through the room slowly. "There's a rumor that a bank is here on the fourteen floor. Only the very exclusive people know about it."

"A rumor? You're risking your life because of a rumor?" Kise asked.

The braided male rolled his eyes. "Not a rumor anymore. We got confirmation from a source saying it is real. Can you imagine the type of things I could buy with all of the money?" he grinned. Kise looked at his ex-boyfriend. It was the first time he actually saw a decent smile on his face.

"Why are you telling me this Shogo-kun?"

The larger man sighed heavily and looked into golden eyes. "You're coming with me remember? There are no secrets between us anymore." The blond widened his gaze.

"W-Wait. I didn't-"

Kise was cut off by the door opening slowly. The same guy with the bright blue eyes that spoke to the model, in the beginning, came inside. "You better give me good news Sekio."

The man that just entered removed his mask and took a deep breath. "Maa... It would be nice if you trust me every once in a while" he crossed his arms over his chest. Haizaki rolled his eyes again and stood up.

"Get on with it. We don't have all day."

Sekio chuckled. "I know. That's why I broke into the vault in fifteen minutes."

The gang leader blinked a few times.

"Wait, really?"

"No, but the look on your face is priceless" the dirty blond subordinate laughed hysterically. Haizaki facepalmed with his right hand. "Why do we keep you around?" he sighed heavily.

"Oh, hush. We'll be inside in the next five minutes, you impatient boss."

Haizaki pinches the bridge of his nose and waved off the man that had annoyed him. Kise tilted his head to the side as he watched him leave the room, leaving the two ex-lovers alone once again.

The two stayed silent in the room for minutes, neither male looking at each other. The sun began to set slowly, making the walls earn a red-orange color throughout. Kise swallowed hard.

"What are you going to do when you get the money?" he asked. The brunette laughed softly and looked up at the ceiling.

"I've always wanted a boat. The ocean has always been my favorite as a kid" he paused as he looked at the blond. "You know this Ryouta. The story on how my dad used to take me on fishing trips out in the middle of the ocean?"

Kise smiled softly. "Yeah. I remember. That one time when you had a big one on the other line and it pulled you right into the water?"

"My dad had to wrestle the fish so it wouldn't getaway."

Both men chuckled lightly as they continued smiling at each other.

"I'm getting a boat. For both of us to live. For both of us to get away from everything" Haizaki sat next to the blond and rubbed his arm gently. "Wherever you want to go baby just say the word and I'll make it happen."

Kise took a deep breath. For the first time in a long time, he got to see Haizaki's human side. The side where he would gush about his father and his adventures in the ocean. The side where he has a soft spot for cats. The side where they went out on their first date and kissed sweetly. He missed this side greatly.

"Shogo-kun…. you know I-" for the second time that day, the blond was cut off by the door. Both males turned to see a panting Wakarum bleeding from a deep cut on his right temple.

"We got him" he breathed. Instantly, Haizaki had his famous smirk plastered on his face and stood up. All softness from before was gone without a trace.

"Let's go pay your boy toy a visit Ryouta" he pulled the blond by the same arm and poke the pistol to his ribcage. Kise sucked in air as they made their way out of the office.

They walked in to see two guys beating up an all too familiar brute that was plastered on the floor.

"Aominecchi!" he screamed, hoping that it would catch the other twos' attention. Instead, the brute looked up at him and grinned.

"Kise… I'm so glad you're okay" he whispered. Haizaki grunted and kicked the brute right in the stomach. Aomine coughed as he spat blood into the floor.

"Shut up. You have no right to speak to him."

"W-Well you have no right to touch him but here we are" the tan male croaked and winked at the blond. Haizaki growled as he landed another kick to the brute, this time aiming for his ribcage.

"S-Shogo-kun! Stop!" Kise cried out. The brunette glared at him and waved the pistol in the air. "Why should I? In fact, why don't I shoot him dead? Then all of our troubles will end!" he snarled as he aimed directly into the middle of Aomine's forehead.

The blond held his breath. He can't have another death on his hands, especially the one he loves dearly.

"If you do that, then he won't suffer as you want him too" he blurted out. Haizaki, Aomine, and the two males all froze and turned to face the nervous blond.

"What do you mean Ryouta?"

Kise swallowed hard as he faced his one-time lover. "I mean, if you kill him now, he won't be able to feel the pain and suffering of watching the man he loves with someone else." He held back his tears as he saw Aomine flinch as his words. "Think about it Haizaki. We get this job done, we buy a boat, and we stay together… forever. No one to bother us, no one to stop us, just you and me."

His stomach churn and bile raced through his esophagus. He held it back though as he saw the brunette starting to lower his weapon.

"You mean it Ryouta?"

"Yes Shogo-kun" he lied. "Let him watch us be happy together. To let him suffer from everything he will never get. Just… put your gun away and let's go back to the office, just the two of us."

Haizaki blinked a few times.

"I can't let that happen, Kise."

The blond and brunette looked at the tan male.

"You better kill me now Haizaki, because I vow to the both of you that I won't stop trying to find Kise. I can't let him go ever again. Not when I'm madly in love with the blond." Aomine said the last sentence directly at Kise. "I'm in love with you Kise. I'm sorry that it took me forever to realize it and I'm sorry that I confessed at the worst possible time, but I can't die knowing that you never knew."

The brute spits out some more blood from his mouth onto the floor. "You're aren't taking Kise with you. He's not yours and I'll make sure that I'll defend him with every bone in my body, even if it costs me my life."

"That can be arranged."

"No!"

Everything moved too quickly for Kise's mind to comprehend. He remembers tackling Haizaki to the ground, hearing Aomine's grunts as he fought the two men that were holding him, a loud voice telling the entire room to get on their knees, and a single gunshot.

Next thing he knew, he was wrapped safely into the familiar brute's arms and was kissed on top of his forehead. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the familiar face of Wakamatsu handcuffing his ex-boyfriend. What comforted him the most was the sweet smell of pinewood and lemon. The distinct smell of Aomine Daiki.

"K-Kise… I…" he heard Aomine speak so low. Suddenly, the entire weight of the brute was on him. He set him down gently and rolled him onto his back only to see a patch of red on the left side of his stomach.

"Oh my god! Aominecchi!" he started to shake. He heard voices behind him but he couldn't make out what they were saying. In the middle of all of that, he felt a large hand on top of his. Kise shifted his gaze to the handsome face of the man that has his heart.

"A-Aominecchi! Please stay with me! I-I didn't mean anything I said before! J-Just please!" he started to sob. The larger hand gave a gentle squeeze.

"I know. I meant every word though. Ryouta, look at me…" he said weakly. Kise blinked as he eyed the brute once again. "I love you Ryouta. I always will." Aomine closed his eyes and chuckled painfully. "I'm so glad that I was able to finally protect you. I'm so happy that you're safe…" his voice faded out.

"No no no! Stay with me! You heard me! If you die, I swear on my life Daiki I'll never forgive you!" he gripped the hand as tightly as he could.

"K-Kise-sama, I need you to move so I can work on your friend here and for you to get checked out."

"I'm not leaving him! Don't worry about me! Just please save him!" he yelled at the medics. Not fighting the distraught model, they got to work on the large male.

A few minutes past before they announced that the brute was stable for the time being, giving the force temporary relief. They put him on the gurney and put him in the back of the ambulance, Kise still not letting go of the hand that had interlocked tan fingers with him all the way to the hospital.


	18. The Taste of Strawberries

Aomine opened his eyes to find the sun beginning to rise, illuminating the blank white walls slightly. He smiled softly as he tried to turn onto his side, only to discover a certain blond snuggling on his chest. The brute slightly and leaned over to kiss the pale forehead. This was nice. He could get used to this dream. It was much better than the others, that's for sure. The blond stirred slightly and raised his head with a sleepy smile.

"D-Daiki?"

The brute's heart fluttered in his chest. It was the first time he dreamt that the blond called him by his given name. Aomine smiled.

"Good morning Ryouta. I love you" he wasted no time in admitting his feelings all over again. Surprisingly, the blond chuckled and laid his head to the side, not breaking eye contact.

"I love you too Daiki" he leaned in to place a small kiss on the brute's lips. Before he broke away, the brute slid a hand on the pale cheek and brought him in for a deep kiss, one that the blond happily complied. Oh yeah, he could definitely get used to dreams like this, especially when the blond _finally_ admits his love is returned. Or how this kiss feels so real, too real in fact.

The sudden noise of a beeping speeding rapidly interrupted the brute's thoughts. Especially when the blond broke apart laughing. "Daiki! You need to calm down your heart or else the doctor will come in and find us" the blond giggled. Aomine blinked a few times, finally noticing that this place wasn't familiar. It was too plain and uncolored, nothing like his apartment. He looked around quickly to see only a couch on the far end of the room and a few monitors to his left side, the beeping noise coming from them.

"Daiki?" he heard his voice again.

The brute looked around again and found a needle was sticking out from the top of his hand, like an IV. No. It **was** an IV. Finally, all the memories came back quickly. Seeing Kise getting onto the elevator, fighting his way to the top, getting beaten senseless, hearing the painful words coming from the blond, admitting his feelings to him, a bullet that was aimed-

The bullet.

"Kise! Kise! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He practically sat up and forced the blond to sit in his lap, trying to raise his shirt so he could inspect. The blond laughed and gripped the brute's wrists softly.

"I'm fine Aominecchi. You saved me from that bullet remember..?" he tilted his head to the side. The brute nodded.

"I-I remember thinking I got to you in time but I just wanted to make sure. I-I couldn't afford to lose you. Not again" he croaked. The blond gripped the wrists tighter and placed one of his hands on his chest.

"I'm alive and breathing because of you" Kise paused before he slapped the side of his arm. Aomine flinched and looked at a pair of golden eyes. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For saving my life! You jumped in front of a bullet! You could've died! You! You idiot!" Kise began to weep. The brute smiled sadly and hugged the blond.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Kise. I'm not sorry for taking that bullet for you though. As you said, You're alive and breathing because of me. Now that I know that fact, I can die peacefully."

"Yeah well, you're not dying. Not on my watch."

Aomine chuckled and broke the hug, wiping the tears away from the blond. They stayed silent, letting the sunrise increase with each passing minute. When the tears dried up, Aomine started to move his hand away before the blond leaned into the touch once more.

The memory of just a few minutes ago flashed in his eyes. The part where Kise admitted his feelings and called him by his given name twice. This is real. It was real.

The beeping increased.

"A-Aominecchi! Relax! You're about to give yourself-"

"You love me?" he blurted out. The blond blinked rapidly before smiling softly.

"Of course I do. I always have."

"Say it again. Say it so I know I'm not dreaming" Aomine took a deep breath and leaned back into the bed. Kise smiled and scooted closer so their lips were inches apart.

"I love you Daiki" he whispered. The brute's heart filled with joy. He gripped the sides of the blond's face and pulled him closer.

"Can I kiss you?"

Kise chuckled. "You didn't ask me a few minutes ago."

"I thought I was dreaming a few minutes ago."

"So, you dream about me then?"

"All the time" Aomine admitted before closing the gap once more, this time enjoying every second of the kiss. Kise hummed in approval. For minutes, all Aomine wanted to do was enjoy the sweet taste of strawberries that he tried so hard to forget. He slipped his tongue inside to get a better taste which Kise happily complied with. The brute's hands slipped from the blond's face to his hips and pulled the smaller male closer. In the distance, that annoying beeping started to pick up.

"A-Aomine-cchi" the blond stuttered, feeling his partner's lips on his neck. The brute ignored the pleading and kept going, enjoying at last what he's been craving for months. Kise moaned softly as he hovered over a sensitive spot.

"Aominecchi I-I'm serious. I-If your heart rate g-gets too high, t-the doctor will-"

"I don't care. Right now, it's you and me. I don't ever want to lose you ever again" he sighed as he gripped the pale hips. Kise gasped and put a finger to the brute's lips. Both males breathed heavily as faint steps were made through the hall. Neither spoke until they passed by through the room. Kise let out a deep breath.

"I'm not going to leave you Aominecchi. I'm staying right here, okay?" he turned back to look at the door. "There's something that you should know though" he bit his bottom lip. Aomine blinked and removed the finger from his mouth.

"Start from the beginning, Kise. I'm listening…" he softened, noticing how Kise shook when they heard the footsteps. The blond nodded and slowly made his way off the brute, disappointing him a little. Kise cleared his throat and took the chair.

"Well, after you saved me, you were rushed to emergency surgery. They said that the bullet ruptured your spleen and you were bleeding out. For hours, I waited in the waiting room to hear about what's going on with you. Pretty soon, your entire station came and waited with me. Even the guys came! Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi, Akashicchi, Murasakibaracchi, Midorimacchi, even Kaito came! The news spread like wildfire and the press were pushing down hard to hear what happened" he sighed heavily.

Aomine bit his bottom lip.

"Kise… I-"

"Finally the doctor came with the news that you were going to be okay. That you fought like a trooper and made it out of surgery safely. For hours, we took turns coming in and seeing you. I thanked your entire station for keeping me and my friends safe. They loved the autographs" the blond smirked. Aomine rolled his eyes but smiled.

"You've been asleep from the surgery for three days. We've all come to see you and Kagamicchi even left some flowers, saying that he has news about his divorce" Kise smiled sadly.

Aomine couldn't take it anymore.

"Kise… I wanted to tell you… back at the party. I don't love Kagami anymore. I mean, we kissed a while ago and I figured out that I didn't and I wanted you and-" he stopped when the blond started to laugh. The brute furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Hearing Aominecchi stumble over his words for the first time is music to my ears" he chuckled harder. The brute frowned and took away his hand. "Shut up."

Kise laughed again and set his hand on the tan arm in front of him.

"I know Aominecchi. You don't have to tell me." Aomine looked at him puzzled. "While we waited to hear back on your surgery, Kagamicchi and I got to talking. He told me everything, including you helping figure out his sexuality" he smiled. The brute's face turned a bit red. Kise laughed again and squeezed the arm. "He also told me how you were terrible after our fight and you even got into a bar fight?"

Aomine cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head.

"H-He told you that, huh?"

"And more."

"Oh, brother."

Kise laughed. "What I focused the most was him telling me how much you love me," he said softly. Aomine smiled and gripped the two hands in front of him.

"Remember how you were asking a while back ago why I became an officer?" he paused while the blond nodded. "It was because of my mother. She was a famous detective that wanted to help people and stop trouble before it started. I wanted to do the same thing too. Instead, I felt like every time I tried to help, people around me got hurt, especially you."

The blond frowned. "Aominecchi…"

"I didn't deserve you. I hurt you twice and couldn't even protect you from that bastard. Deep down, I knew that I was just the same as him. It's why I pushed you away. I thought you would be better off without me." He took a deep breath and fell back into the bed. "Stupid I know but yeah" he looked up at the ceiling.

"Point is, I don't want to push you away anymore. I want you by my side forever. I want to take care of you and protect you. I want to come home to you every night and the nights you're away because of work, I still want to hear your voice. I want to have more breakfasts and late-night dinner. I want to play ball with you. I want you to be mine. Officially mine. I don't care what the press is going to say. I don't care if they stalk my every move. As long as I get to be with you, I can handle anything that is thrown my way" he closed his eyes, feeling a huge weight being lifted off of his chest.

He snapped them open when he heard sniffling. He gripped the hands tightly as he saw Kise's hair covering his face. "Look at me. Are you okay?"

The blond shook his head. "No! I'm not alright! Aominecchi! That was the most beautiful confession I've ever heard!"

"So, you've heard others?"

"Shut up Aominecchi!" the blond pouted as he was met with soft navy eyes. The brute chuckled and brought him in for a hug.

"I love you Ryouta."

"I love you too Daiki" the blond mumbled but hugged him back. Before they could separate to kiss once more, a knock on the door was made.

"Kise-kun! I brought some breakfast!" a lady spoke. The blond smiled. "Bring it in!" he replied back. The door was opened and the lady set the tray on a rolling table. She turned to find Kise, not the only one awake.

"A-Aomine-san! You're awake!" she jumped for joy. "Oh. Oh! Oh no! I only brought one tray! I'll go get another!" she started to leave the room.

"Wait Jun-kun!" Kise cried out. The lady stopped and turned around. "We don't need another tray. Can you actually call Rio-san? I haven't done that since he woke up."

"Y-Yes! Of course! I'll do that!" she fidgeted with her fingers. Kise chuckled. "You can get an autograph from him afterward I promise."

"Oh thank you Kise-kun!" she smiled brightly and left the room, almost slamming the door in the process. Aomine raised an eyebrow. "A fan of yours?"

"She's more of a fan of yours now."

"Huh?"

Kise laughed and walked over to the tray with tons of food. "People know that you're the one who saved me and my coworkers so they're huge fans of you." He walked back over to his chair. Aomine nodded slowly.

"Now, I'm a celebrity?"

"Yep! I hope you were being truthful about not caring about the press following your every move because that's going to happen sooner than you think."

Aomine groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You hungry?" Kise asked casually. The brute sighed and nodded. "Well, open up silly," the blond said. Before Aomine could question, he saw a spoonful of pancakes being put near his mouth. He took the mouthful and smiled brightly.

They didn't say much after that. Just exchanging smiles and Aomine eating whatever Kise feeds him. When the tray was done, another knock on the door was made. The doctor came in to check on Aomine and the incisions they made during surgery. Since Kise did a great job of putting the ointment on and changing the bandage every six hours, Aomine nearly completely healed. The doctor signed the paper so he could be discharged later that day.

News of his release spread everywhere and the press was starting to pile in front of the hospital. It began to tick off Aomine's visitors. Especially a certain loudmouth redhead.

"I know that Kise has to deal with this all the time, but I wasn't expecting you to be so calm about it" Kagami crossed his arms over his chest. Kise and Kuroko left the room a while ago to see if there was any way they could sneak Aomine out quietly.

The brute chuckled. "I know eventually it's going to bug me, but I'm hoping it will die down quickly."

"Not a chance. I overheard them calling you "Kise's Guardian Angel" and "The Tan Savior" and weird nicknames like that" Kagami shook his head. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and glanced out the window.

"They could call me whatever they want. I have Kise and that's all that matters" he smiled. Few minutes of silence went by before Aomine looked directly at his best friend, who had a look of disgust on his face.

"What?"

"Dude. You reek of love."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up."

Kagami laughed and sat down next to the brute. "Oh! I haven't told you the good news!" the redhead smiled. Aomine raised an eyebrow. "The divorce is final. Since everything was under my name, I got to keep everything. I've been back in my apartment and back to work. The guys have been really nice and supportive with helping me get through this."

"Have you told them about…?"

"Me being bisexual? Yeah, they know and apparently there was a bet going on when I was going to come out. Supposedly, Kuroko won."

"That sneaky little bastard. I'm gonna have to talk with Tetsu when I get out of here."

"About that, go easy on him. It hasn't been a good few days for him." Kagami rubbed the back of his neck. Aomine raised an eyebrow and was going to ask why before the door was opened. Kise and Kuroko walked in looking defeated. "There's no use. We have to go through the front door" Kise sighed heavily and flopped on the couch.

Kuroko nodded in agreement and followed the blond. Aomine smiled and shrugged his shoulders again. "Oh well. It was going to happen eventually."

"Dude seriously. You've gotten soft as hell."

Aomine rolled his eyes again and punched his best friend in the arm, earning a laugh from all three former basketball players. A few minutes later, the doctor walked in to give the brute his discharge papers. He was needing to be on bed rest for the rest of the week and isn't able to go back to work until the following week, much to Aomine's annoyance.

Kagami and Kuroko offered to go first to get the car so they could make a run for it, leaving the two lovebirds alone. "Hey Aominecchi?" the blond asked sweetly as they started to make their way out of the room.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come home with you?"

Aomine smiled and pulled the blond into a tight embrace. "I thought that was a given." Kise laughed and kissed the tan male's cheek. "Just making sure we were on the same page."

The brute chuckled softly as he followed his partner to the front door. Before they reached it, Kise stopped both of them. "Just keep your head low and don't respond to any questions. Push them aside and get into the car as fast as you can, okay?" the blond took a deep breath. The brute smirked and kissed the top of Kise's head.

"Okay, babe. Whatever you said. No promises on ignoring their questions though."

The blond rolled his eyes but smiled. "Okay. Here we go" he said before pushing the double doors wide open. Immediately, Aomine was blinded by flashing lights and people yelling into his ear. Listening to Kise's advice, he kept his head down and started making his way to Kagami's waiting car.

"Kise-kun! Is it true that Aomine-san saved your life?"

"What does this mean for your career? Will you be taking a vacation?"

"Kise-sama! What about your relationship with Ito-san?"

"Is Ito-san okay with you spending so much time with Aomine-san?"

Aomine gritted his teeth as more reporters asked about Kise's supposed boyfriend. When they almost got to the car, a reporter stopped in the middle and practically smashed the microphone into the brute's mouth.

"Aomine-san! Why did you choose to save Kise-kun? Is it because he's a celebrity? Is it because it will give you fame? Is it for the police department to get more funding?" the reporter smirked, knowing the questions were getting under the brute's skin. Kise gripped tighter and tried to pull the tan male away from the crowd but with no use.

"Do you really think I saved him so you guys can follow me around?"

"Aominecchi…"

"I saved him because I love him. I've been in love with him since forever ago and when the person you love is in trouble, you drop everything to go save them" he furrowed his eyebrows and pulled Kise to his side. "Whatever Ito-san had with Kise is gone now. It was gone from the moment he ran away and left Kise to defend for himself. He's mine now" he snarled at the reporter and crashed his lips against the blond. It was a quick kiss, Kise didn't even acknowledge it happened, but people gasped and some even clapped.

"He's my boyfriend and I'll take care of him better than whatever his name was" he narrowed his eyebrows at the reporter and shoved through the crowd, pulling Kise behind him. Once inside the car, he let the blond go first, blocking the press from taking pictures inside the vehicle. Aomine quickly slid in and slammed the door in their faces.

"Fucking idiots."

"So much for being calm nowadays" Kagami joked. Kuroko rolled his eyes and began leading them away from the hospital.

The brute took a few breaths before shyly looking at the blond. "S-Sorry. I told you that I made no promises while ignoring the press." The blond sighed heavily and leaned into the brute's chest.

"I figured you would pull off a stupid stunt like that."

"Are you mad?"

"No, but Kaito is going to have a fun time dealing with Ito-san's manager."

"He had it coming. He left you with that bastard."

"He got scared and ran for his life."

"I don't care. He should've tried to fight for you."

Kise smirked and turned to face the brute. "Yeah, you're right. He should've fought for me and then we would be in his limo, drinking champagne and celebrating the movie premiere privately."

Aomine narrowed his eyes and pulled the blond close. "On second thought, let him run away like the coward he is. You only need me." The blond laughed as he leaned into the touch.

"I never thought I'd hear Aomine-kun being possessive over something other than with basketball."

"Quick Kuroko! It's the end of the world!" Kagami fake screamed. Kise and the teal-haired male laughed loudly while the brute rolled his eyes.

"Screw the both of you," he muttered and sat his chin on top of the blond's head. For the rest of the trip, everyone fell into a comfortable silence. When Aomine's apartment fell into view, they perked up seeing there was no press in the front.

"Hurry inside before they show up!" Kagami stopped the car quickly and bolted to the trunk. The other three laughed and slowly got out of the car. Kagami set the suitcase down on the ground.

"I know we can't stay long, but I'm really happy that you're not at the hospital Aomine-kun" Kuroko smiled. The brute smiled back and ruffled the teal hair.

"I'm glad too."

"Once the story dies down, make sure you come to visit Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi!" Kise smiled and took the suitcase from the redhead. Kagami smiled and nodded. "You got it. Come on Kuroko. Let's let the lovebirds be alone" he smirked and got back into the driver's side. Aomine rolled his eyes but waved bye until the car disappeared around the corner.

"Is that Kise-san?"

"With Aomine-san?"

"No way!"

Uh oh. The two males looked at each other before bolting up the stairs to the brute's apartment. Once inside, Aomine locked the door and burst out laughing, Kise soon following.

"You should've seen your face."

"You should've seen yours!"

Their laughter died down as they looked around the room. Everything was tidy and clean for once. The brute sighed with content and pulled the blond to his side.

"Well, what do you want to do now, _Ryouta?_" he whispered. The blond shivered. "I know exactly what I want," he whispered back. Aomine smirked and started to lean in for a kiss before the blond put a finger to his lips.

"I want to watch that American series you told me that you love!" Kise's eyes brightened. The brute laughed and nodded. "Whatever you want, princess. Let's change into something a bit more comfortable though" Aomine winked and led them to the bedroom, the blond's face flushed red. When they were changed into comfy sweats and oversized shirts, they walked into the kitchen to find a homemade meal already prepared for them.

"I'll have to thank Kagami for this."

"Mhm! This looks amazing!" The blond began serving two plates with curry and rice and sat down on the couch to start watching the series. By episode seven, Aomine was laying his head on top of Kise's lap, both still watching with much interest. When the credits rolled through the screen, Kise stretched and sighed.

Aomine smiled at the sight and leaned up to take a kiss from his lover. The blond laughed and ran his hand through the dark locks. "Are you going to kiss every chance you get?"

"Yes," the brute said without hesitation.

"My lips are going to be bruised" Kise whined.

"Then, I'll move somewhere else besides your lips," he smirked. The blond's face flushed. "You're such a pervert."

"Only for you baby."

Kise rolled his eyes but smiled. The brute smiled back, only for a thought to hit him randomly. "You know what I just thought of?"

"That I'm the most attractive person you know?"

"Besides myself. Yeah, I know."

"Hey!"

They both chuckled lightly before the brute shakes his head. "No. I was wondering whatever happened to the bastard? Did he finally got locked up?" He looked at his partner. Kise smiled and kept going through the dark locks.

"Yeah. Wakamatsu arrested Sh-I mean, Haizaki after he shot you. He's going to be tried in court next week. I'm not sure what else is going on, but I'm sure Wakamatsu will tell you tomorrow."

Aomine thinned his lips and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how the bastard's case was going to unfold. "Let's not think about that right now. You suppose to be focusing on me" the blond pouted. The brute laughed and brought his lover down to a kiss.

"You're right. I'm especially glad that you don't call him by his given name anymore."

"Nope. I only do that to one person now."

"Oh? Who is that?"

Kise snorted and looked down at his smiling brute. "My boyfriend of course. Aomine Daiki" he smiled. The tan male smiled bigger and brought the blond in for another kiss, this time savoring the sweet taste.

A gunshot was made through the TV, startling both males.

"Wait! What happened?! Who got shot?" Kise cried out.

"Oh, no one important. Just the main girl's boyfriend. Turns out she was having an affair and her husband was not having it" Aomine said coolly before trying to pull the blond in for another kiss.

"Wait what! She was having an affair?! Go back! Go back!" Kise frantically searched for the remote. Aomine laughed and sat up, replaying the episode again and bringing his boyfriend close to cuddle.

He never thought in a million years he would be this happy. Yet, here he was, holding the person he cares for the most. He thought back to that fateful day that brought the two of them closer together. The wedding that nearly broke his heart.

Remembering that particular night where both he and Kise were honest about the wedding, he smiled brightly.

Suddenly, the idea of a wedding wasn't so bad.

Aomine Daiki still hates them though. Everyone cares about the cheesy decorations, what flowers match with the curtains, and going as far as what the order of the utensils should be displayed.

Though, if it was his and he was marrying Kise Ryouta? That's a different story.

He likes the sound of that. He'd go through all of that just for his partner.

He'll go through all of that for Kise.

* * *

**That's a wrap, folks! Thank you so much for your reviews and encouragement to continue on. Sadly, we are now at the end of the story. There will be a short spinoff about Kagami and Kuroko though so keep an eye out for that! I do have another story in mind but it will not be posted here because of graphic detail. It will be posted on Ao3. Follow me there if you haven't!**

**Again, thank you so much for the support and I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did!**


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